A billion-dollar ICE facility in Newark operates at just 20% capacity after four violent illegal immigrant detainees escaped during what officials describe as an “uprising,” exposing severe security failures and igniting a firestorm of controversy.
Key Takeaways
- Three of four escaped illegal immigrants, described by DHS as “public safety threats,” have been recaptured, with Colombian national Andres Felipe Pineda-Mogollon still at large and a $25,000 reward offered.
- The Delaney Hall Detention Center, operating under a 15-year $1 billion contract with GEO Group, has transferred hundreds of dangerous illegal migrant criminals to facilities in Texas and Pennsylvania following the escape.
- Security breakdowns allowed detainees to push down dormitory walls during a disturbance over delayed meals, raising serious questions about GEO Group’s management practices.
- Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has condemned the facility, which has been operating amid protests and a lawsuit claiming GEO Group lacks proper city permits.
- The facility now holds approximately 200 migrants, down from its capacity as the largest detention center on the East Coast, while officials demand improved security measures.
Violent Detainees Escape Amid Facility Chaos
The recent escape of four illegal immigrant detainees from the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark has exposed alarming security deficiencies at one of the East Coast’s largest ICE facilities. Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed that the escapees were classified as “public safety threats,” with three now recaptured and one remaining fugitive. The incident occurred when detainees became agitated over delayed meals, leading to a violent confrontation where they successfully pushed down both interior and exterior walls to reach a parking lot.
Colombian national Andres Felipe Pineda-Mogollon remains at large, with authorities offering a substantial $25,000 reward for information leading to his capture. The escape has forced a dramatic reduction in the facility’s population, with hundreds of detainees being transferred to other locations. This incident represents the latest failure in Biden administration immigration policies that continually put American communities at risk by inadequately securing dangerous illegal immigrants.
Billion-Dollar Contract Under Scrutiny
GEO Group, the private contractor responsible for operating Delaney Hall under a lucrative 15-year, $1 billion contract with ICE, now faces intense scrutiny over its management practices. Following the escape, the facility has been reduced to operating at just 20% of its capacity, housing approximately 200 migrants while officials demand improved security protocols. The dramatic reduction comes after hundreds of detainees described as “hardened criminals, including killers and rapists” were transferred to detention centers in Texas and Pennsylvania.
“GEO Group needs to properly “ensure security and staffing” and put in place “proper procedures” before it can “repopulate” the massive center,said a source .
Critics point to inadequate staffing levels and poor security procedures as direct contributors to the escape. The facility has been placed under strict lockdown with all visitations suspended indefinitely. Despite these serious failures, GEO Group continues to claim it provides “high-quality services” to detainees, a position increasingly difficult to maintain given the dramatic evidence of security breakdowns.
Newark’s Sanctuary City Status Complicates Security
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has been an outspoken critic of the detention center, even being arrested during protests at the facility. The city has sued GEO Group for allegedly operating without proper municipal permits, adding another layer of controversy to the facility’s troubles. This legal challenge represents the ongoing tension between federal immigration enforcement and local sanctuary city policies that hamper the secure detention of illegal immigrants with criminal records.
“It’s one chaotic moment after the next.” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka told the associated press .
The situation is further complicated by Newark’s sanctuary city status, which one insider bluntly addressed: “The detention center had “a large amount” of violent illegal migrant criminals because “Newark is a cesspool of crime” and a sanctuary city, the source groused.” an insider told the New York Post. This candid assessment highlights how progressive policies actively undermine public safety efforts by preventing proper coordination between local and federal authorities to handle dangerous illegal immigrants.
Detainee Conditions Spark Unrest
Reports from inside the facility reveal conditions that contributed to the unrest leading to the escape. Detainees complained about inadequate food portions and disrupted meal services, which ultimately triggered the violence. While some advocates use these complaints to criticize the facility, they ignore the more significant issue of why violent criminals are being housed in a facility without adequate security measures to protect the public when these individuals should likely face deportation rather than continued detention at taxpayer expense.
“It’s about the food, and some of the detainees were getting aggressive, and it turned violent” Mustafa Cetin told Fox News
Family members of detainees have expressed frustration at the lack of transparency surrounding the incident. “There’s nothing really I can do. Government doesn’t seem to be on our side. Police enforcement isn’t on our side. They’re not giving us answers. They’re not even letting us know that something happened inside that facility.”a woman identified only as Kimberly told the associated press. The chaos at Delaney Hall represents yet another failure in President Trump’s efforts to bring order to an immigration system deliberately undermined by years of Biden administration neglect.
