Federal agents arrested Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka outside Delaney Hall, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, on May 9, 2025. The arrest occurred as Mayor Baraka, accompanied by U.S. Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, LaMonica McIver, and Robert Menendez Jr., attempted to join a tour of the facility to investigate conditions amid concerns about detainee treatment.
Delaney Hall is operated by GEOGroup under a federal contract with ICE. It reopened earlier this year without securing necessary local permits or safety inspections, which city officials argue violates local and state law. In response to these events, New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) issued a statement.
Nicole Rodriguez, President of NJPP, expressed concern over the arrest: “NJPP is profoundly alarmed over Mayor Ras Baraka’s arrest. This incident underscores longstanding concerns about the privatization of immigration enforcement and the dangerous lack of accountability that comes with it.”
Rodriguez emphasized the importance of oversight in public policy: “Oversight and transparency in public policy — especially when human lives are at stake — should never be met with obstruction or criminalization.”
She highlighted issues with privately run detention centers: “Decades of research and investigative reporting have shown that privately run detention centers, driven by profit, often cut corners on safety and care… Privatization removes key tools for elected officials and communities to ensure accountability.”
NJPP called for an investigation into the mayor’s arrest and Delaney Hall’s operations: “NJPP calls for a full, independent investigation into Mayor Baraka’s arrest… We also urge federal lawmakers to respect New Jersey’s existing ban on private immigration detention facilities.”
Rodriguez concluded by stating NJPP’s stance on immigration policies: “As a nonpartisan, research-driven organization, NJPP stands firmly for humane, just, and transparent immigration policies that uphold the dignity and rights of all New Jersey residents.”
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