Women are going on hunger & labor strike at Delaney Hall.
These are their demands.
Freedom
Release all the women, with priority given to women under the age of 21, women with medical conditions, and mothers.
Expand access to legal representation and support. Many women detained at Delaney Hall face complex immigration proceedings without attorneys or adequate legal assistance. Continued pro bono legal representation is needed to ensure individuals have meaningful access to due process.
Dignity
GEO must immediately replace its current food supplier to meet basic nutritional and health standards. This includes providing healthy high quality meals that accommodate medical, religious, and dietary needs.
GEO must repair the plumbing, in particular the second bathroom in the women's unit and all bathrooms of the facility.
GEO must contract cleaning services, so that people are not threatened to do labor for the benefit of a multibillion dollar corporation.
GEO must provide safe drinking water. If safe drinking water cannot be guaranteed through faucets and water fountains, then bottled water should be brought into the units and made available through the commissary.
GEO must immediately hire new qualified medical staff including nurses and doctors available 24/7 to respond to emergencies. Nurses mistreat people and give people incorrect medications, medical attention is routinely denied.
GEO must install functioning AC and heat, and proper ventilation. It is dangerous for people to be confined in extreme heat or extreme cold.
Respect
Initiate and carry to completion independent investigations of all allegations of abuse. Women report that they have made multiple complaints of sexual abuse against a female officer.
GEO is responsible for providing staff training, accountability systems and oversight, and security personnel changes to ensure dignified treatment of detained people.
Immediately restore all visitation privileges so that mothers, daughters, and family members can maintain meaningful contact with their loved ones.
Calls to Action
1. Call the Newark Field office at (862) 445-9200 and GEO group at (561) 893-0101 and demand that Delaney Hall:
a.Fire the guard sexually assaulting women
b.Hire a cleaning service
c.Provide safe drinking water
d.Fix the air conditioning
e.Repair the bathrooms
f.Replace all security personnel with new trained staff
g.Replace the current GEO medical staff with trained and qualified nurses, as well as hire doctors to be available 24/7 to handle emergencies
h.Replace the current food supplier with one that provides high-quality meals and adequate nutrition for sick people
2. Call the Governor's office at (609) 777-2230 and:
a.Demand that GEO/Delaney Hall restore visitation hours for ALL units, ALL week.
3. Email ICE deportation officer at Delaney Hall Maurice Williams at Maurice.E.Williams@ice.dhs.gov:
a.Demand the immediate release of all women, starting with: those under the age of 21, those who have medical conditions, and mothers.