Protests have become intense and sometimes chaotic at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, N.J., as activists and officials voice anger over the reported inhumane conditions faced by immigrants detained there. Federal immigration officers have used pepper spray and tear gas to respond to the demonstrations.
Silky Shah, who leads Detention Watch Network, a nonprofit monitoring conditions inside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, expresses deep concern over unseen issues. She highlights issues such as serving rotten food, medical neglect, and lack of support. Shah points out that these problems are not unique to Delaney Hall but occur widely.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and private prison contractor GEO Group, managing Delaney Hall, deny the allegations, branding them politically motivated efforts to dismantle ICE. Nonetheless, detainees have filed lawsuits over poor conditions, many of which occur in facilities run by the GEO Group.
This week marks the beginning of David Venturella’s role as acting director of ICE, strengthening ties between the agency and the GEO Group. The company’s revenue significantly depends on its ICE contracts, generating approximately half its income by operating state prisons and providing detention services.
“ICE detention in this country relies on a multibillion-dollar network of public and private sector interests benefiting from the detention of undocumented immigrants,”says Lauren-Brooke Eisen, a senior director at the Brennan Center for Justice.
After President Trump’s re-election, companies like GEO Group and CoreCivic expanded rapidly to fulfill government demands for more detention beds. This expansion yielded substantial profits, with GEO Group earning over $250 million in 2025, a 700% increase from the prior year.
Substandard conditions in ICE detention centers have been documented for years. Some legal experts warn that involving private companies encourages cost-cutting at the detainees’ expense. Katherine Hawkins, from the Project on Government Oversight, notes that private prisons introduce the profit motive, influencing care.
GEO Group claims compliance with government standards, providing medical care, legal and family visits, and balanced meals. The company states it has supported ICE’s law enforcement mission for four decades.
However, private prison companies lack the same public records obligations that apply to governmental facilities, reducing transparency and accountability. Eisen highlights challenges journalists face in uncovering details about incidents within these facilities.
Ongoing legal battles in Washington State and New Jersey focus on access to detention centers. At a congressional hearing, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin resisted calls for the New Jersey Department of Health to have full access to Delaney Hall.
Concerns persist over the influence of private entities on the immigration detention industry. The so-called ‘revolving door’ of executives moving between ICE and private prison firms raises questions of conflict. Notable figures include GEO Group’s new ICE acting director Venturella, who has worked for both the company and ICE.
Senator Elizabeth Warren expressed apprehensions about conflicts of interest in a letter to Venturella. DHS responded by highlighting Venturella’s extensive experience and adherence to ethics requirements.
Amid growing concerns, immigrant advocates spotlight the rapid expansion of private detention encouraged by increased federal funding and reduced oversight. Scott Shuchart, a former ICE official, notes the troubling consequences, with 2026 potentially being the deadliest year in immigration detention since DHS’s inception.
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