Four detainees are currently unaccounted for after their escape from Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey. The incident follows what Newark’s mayor described as an “uprising” at the facility, leading to heightened concerns about safety and security within its walls.
According to U.S. Senator Andy Kim, D-N.J., the detainees managed to break through a wall made of “drywall with a mesh interior,” which provided access to an exterior wall and ultimately a parking lot. Senator Kim, along with Representative Rob Menendez, D-N.J., was briefed by officials from the detention center and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday.
Kim expressed serious concerns over the escape, stating that the situation reflects the “incompetence and recklessness” of facility operations. He noted that a security review is underway, and he anticipates “major detainee movements out of this facility” in the near future.
The escape occurred amid unrest related to detainees’ access to meals, as disruptions in food availability were reported. “Because they were doing movements of detainees around, using the cafeteria to be able to do that, that interrupted dramatically the ability for detainees to get access to food, that caused a number of the unrest that was happening,” Kim said. He also raised issues regarding inadequate food portions and restrictions on visitation rights at Delaney Hall.
When asked for comments, ICE referred ABC News to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which confirmed awareness of the detainees’ escape. DHS identified the escapees as Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes and Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez, both from Honduras, and Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada and Andres Pineda-Mogollon, both from Colombia. The agency noted that the men were previously arrested on charges including aggravated assault and burglary.
A senior DHS official revealed that a BOLO (be-on-the-lookout) notice has been issued and said that additional law enforcement resources have been mobilized to locate the escapees. To incentivize information leading to their capture, DHS and the FBI are offering a $10,000 reward.
While concern over the detainees’ escape and their treatment at Delaney Hall has grown, DHS has pushed back against claims of widespread unrest, emphasizing the facility’s commitment to providing high-quality services, including continuous medical care and access to legal resources. Geo Group, the facility’s operator, echoed these sentiments and affirmed its dedication to the safety and security of both detainees and the surrounding community.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Congresswoman LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., have both voiced deep apprehension regarding conditions at Delaney Hall. Baraka expressed a need for immediate responses from the GEO Group and DHS regarding the troubling situations that unfolded.
“We are concerned about reports of what has transpired at Delaney Hall this evening, ranging from withholding food and poor treatment, to uprising and escaped detainees,” Baraka said.
McIver expressed similar concerns, stating, “I have serious concerns about the reports of abusive circumstances at the facility,” and indicated her office’s attempts to secure information from ICE have been met with silence.
Complicating matters further, both Baraka and McIver were involved in a previous dispute at Delaney Hall, where McIver allegedly assaulted law enforcement while attempting to intervene during Baraka’s arrest for trespassing—a charge that was later dropped. McIver plans to plead not guilty to the charges laid against her in that incident, which she labeled “political intimidation.”