Democratic members of the U.S. Congress have reported appalling conditions at the Delaney Hall federal migrant detention center in Newark, where protests have been ongoing for several days and detainees have reportedly begun a hunger strike. This was reported by AP, according to UNN.
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Congressman Jerry Nadler stated that detainees are given small portions of food in which larvae are "very often" found. According to him, prisoners effectively receive only Tylenol as medical care. He also reported a woman with a breast lump who has been unable to get a mammogram for over a month, and another detainee with untreated colon cancer.
"The bottom line is that if you are a human being, if you are an American, you cannot support what is happening here,"
His colleague Adriano Espaillat called the conditions "inhumane" and promised: "We will close this center."
Protests continue outside the center
After the visit, the lawmakers spoke with protesters and relatives of detainees who gathered at the facility's gates. People held signs saying "Stop separating families" and chanted "Free them all." According to Gabriela Soto, whose husband was held at Delaney Hall, almost all prisoners have joined the hunger strike.
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Earlier, Senator Andy Kim stated that he was pepper-sprayed while attempting to visit the center.
"ICE sent an armored vehicle and a convoy of armed agents, which only added fuel to the fire,"
U.S. Department of Homeland Security denies allegations
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security rejected reports of a hunger strike, poor conditions, or abuse of detainees. The department called the criticism "political manipulation."
"The fact is, we are giving them the calories they want,"