Don’t Give Up: A Letter From Delaney Hall
This letter was written in the midst of a massive work & hunger strike inside Delaney Hall. The authors describe the horrific conditions inside the facility, but the strike is not only about the conditions. Those detained at Delaney are demanding their freedom.
Date: May 26, 2026
Location: Delaney Hall Detention Facility - ICE
Communique
We, the detainees at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility, wish to express our objection to the violation of our rights as immigrant human beings. We, the detainees, are demanding our progressive release, based on the fact that our arrests were illegal; immigrants to this country have the right to await our pending immigration proceedings outside of prison; therefore, we demand to be released on bond or parole so that we may complete our proceedings.
Furthermore, we call for greater efficiency in our judicial processes, as well as greater effectiveness and urgency for those who request and sign their voluntary release; we believe it is unjust to keep people who wish to leave of their own free will in custody for up to three months.
In addition to the unlawful and forced detention of most of us who find ourselves locked up here, there is the inhumane treatment that all detainees in this facility endure on a daily basis. The company in charge (GEO) fails to meet the basic conditions necessary to protect our health and our lives. To their administrative incompetence, we must add the following injustices and irregularities perpetrated by ICE and GEO:
Food containing worms or in a state of decay.
Unresolved issues, particularly regarding the bathrooms, which are in terrible and inhumane condition.
Ventilation problems.
Serious health issues: most people have a persistent flu with phlegm that won’t go away; many have conjunctivitis, urinary tract infections, fever, and coughs.
Medical care issues:
If you're sick, you have to submit a request that takes two weeks to be answered—or you never get a response at all.
Nurses refuse to treat you right away
They only prescribe Tylenol for all ailments
The nurses' exact words: "We're not a PHARMACY"
ICE agents coerce detainees into signing deportation orders
There is no emergency protocol: in cases of falls or attacks, emergency response arrives an hour late
Judges’ rulings are highly questionable; most bond requests are denied without legal basis
Detainees are forced to work, in most cases without pay, or for $1 an hour
We appreciate the support of everyone who is protesting outside the facility. We want you to know that you give us the strength and determination to keep going. Please, DON’T GIVE UP!
We ask all relevant authorities for an urgent response and look forward to hearing from them. With the utmost respect, the detainees at the Delaney Hall facility.
God bless you!
This is the third letter to be published publicly from inside Delaney Hall. Read the first letter here. Read the second letter (signed by hundreds of people) here.
These letters not only represent the experiences of those at Delaney Hall, but the experiences of thousands of other immigrants in detention centers across the country.