State officials say GEO Group refused to allow a complete Department of Health inspection of the Newark immigration detention center after detainees reported unsafe and unsanitary conditions.
TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey has sued The GEO Group, Inc., the private company that operates the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, after state health inspectors were allegedly denied full access to inspect the facility.
The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the New Jersey Department of Health, asks a court to order GEO Group to allow a complete inspection under state law.
The Governor’s Office said the complaint followed reports of unsafe conditions inside the facility, including allegations from detainees involving hygiene access, medical care, water quality and possible illness spread.
The state said Department of Health inspectors were allowed into Delaney Hall on Thursday, May 28, 2026, but were barred from inspecting the medical unit, sleeping areas, and bathing and toileting areas.
According to the state, inspectors have not been granted access for a full inspection despite repeated requests.
The lawsuit alleges GEO Group violated state law by refusing to allow the inspection and seeks an expedited injunction directing the company to allow inspectors into the entire facility.
The state said a full inspection would allow health officials to determine whether conditions inside the facility pose a risk to detainees, staff, contractors, visitors or the broader public.
The Governor’s Office cited concerns about food safety, ventilation, hygiene and communicable illness, including a reported tuberculosis case involving a detainee taken to University Hospital in late May.
“If the GEO Group — with a $1 billion government contract — has nothing to hide and the conditions inside Delaney Hall are as safe and as sanitary as this private corporation and the Trump Administration claim, then there is no legitimate reason why my health inspectors are being kept from full access throughout the building,” said Governor Sherrill. “The people of New Jersey deserve transparency and accountability, and I will continue using all the power of this office to advocate for the detainees and their families.”
Delaney Hall has drawn public attention in recent days because of protests, detainee hunger strikes and demands from state officials for more transparency into conditions inside the facility.
The state said some detainees began a hunger strike on May 22 to protest conditions, including reported lack of hygiene products and spoiled or rotten food.
The case is now in Superior Court in Essex County, where the state is asking for an order requiring GEO Group to give Department of Health inspectors full access to Delaney Hall.