Home / Crime and Justice / Newark Immigrant Center: 3 Deaths Spark Health Care Crisis
Newark Immigrant Center: 3 Deaths Spark Health Care Crisis
14 Aug
Summary
- Three immigrants died in ICE custody at Delaney Hall in less than eight months.
- Immigrants and lawyers report inadequate medical care and medication access.
- Federal officials claim detainees receive good medical care despite complaints.
Three Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees have died at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark within the past eight months. These deaths have prompted serious questions regarding the adequacy of medical services provided to immigrants in federal custody.
Immigrants and their legal representatives have reported systemic issues, including significant delays in receiving daily medications and comprehensive treatment for chronic illnesses. Some injuries sustained during arrest have reportedly gone untreated, contributing to a climate of concern over patient care at the privately operated facility.
Federal officials have stated that detainees are provided with good medical care, including access to physicians and emergency services. However, access for federal lawmakers seeking to assess conditions has been limited, and state health inspectors were denied entry to the facility.
Similar complaints about medical neglect have surfaced at other detention centers nationwide, with documented reports and lawsuits alleging human rights abuses. The specific causes of the deaths at Delaney Hall remain under investigation, with at least one family attributing their relative's death to a failure to properly manage pre-existing conditions.
