Little Miss Factface

What happened outside Delaney Hall yesterday was deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable. It reflects the chaos, cruelty, and vast erosion of basic democratic norms that have become central to Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. Delaney Hall itself is a moral assault on our state. It should close and should never have opened in the first place. A private, for-profit detention facility should never be allowed to profit from the pain and fear of vulnerable human beings.  Reports from detainees, advocates, faith leaders, and families describe conditions that demand urgent scrutiny, including concerns about medical care, food, retaliation against detainees, and the treatment of people who pose no threat to public safety, many of whom have lived in our country for years and have deep ties to American families and communities. My friend and colleague Senator Andy Kim went to Delaney Hall to fulfill the  responsibility to conduct oversight when credible allegations of abuse and mistreatment arise, and his treatment, including facing pepper spray, should  alarm every American, regardless of political party. We cannot allow fear, intimidation, or the abuse of federal power to become normalized in our democracy. We must reject the false choice between public safety and human dignity. We are a stronger nation when we uphold both. I will be visiting Delaney Hall this week and working closely with Senator Kim, Governor Sherrill, our congressional delegation, faith leaders, and community partners to inspect conditions inside the facility, assess detainee welfare, examine medical care and safety protocols, and ensure transparency and accountability. But oversight alone is not enough. Delaney Hall should be closed. And I will continue working to hold both the GEO Group Group and this administration accountable for policies and practices that betray our highest values and diminish who we are as a nation. At this moment, New Jersey must continue to be a place that stands for justice, compassion, constitutional rights, and the basic dignity of every human being.