N.J. Gov. Mikie Sherrill says she wants access to Delaney Hall ICE facility amid protests

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill is asking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to let her inside the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, where hundreds of immigrants are being held.

Protesters began gathering outside Delaney Hall on Friday, alleging detainees are enduring horrible conditions.

Sherrill arrived Monday after releasing a statement saying she was "deeply disturbed by reports of the poor conditions." 

"I'll continue to work to go in, but at the same time, I think this really brings to light why the state has been fighting so hard, because this type of facility shows exactly why we should not have private mass detention facilities," she said. 

Saturday, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said, in part, "All detainees [at Delaney Hall] are provided with 3 meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries. ... Certified dieticians evaluate meals."

They added that detainees also receive "medical, dental, and mental health services as available, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care," along with access to phones to speak with family members and lawyers.  

Protesters block van

Protests continued for a third day Sunday outside Delaney Hall. Some demonstrators blocked a white van that was trying to leave the facility. The vehicle eventually reversed back into the property.

Gabriela Soto said her husband, Martin Soto Hernandez, was inside the van.

"They were pulling and dragging him into the van," said Gabriela Soto, who is pregnant with their third child. "He was banging on the window. He was screaming and banging on the window. That's why everyone here is blocking it because they're not going to let my husband be deported or sent away."

He was detained by ICE while buying diapers four months ago, she said, and there is a judge's order for his release.

Gabriela Soto said ICE retaliated on her husband for the protests that she started. 

"They lied to him. They told him that he was getting released, and then I witnessed him getting kidnapped, shoved and thrown in a van," she said. 

"Gaby should be home reading bedtime stories to her son, Noah, and playing with her daughter, Vero," said Kathy O'Leary, who is with the Catholic peace organization Pax Christi.

DHS says visitation is suspended  

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Soto Hernandez was scheduled for a transfer to another ICE facility.

"Agitators obstructed the vehicle's path, preventing the transfer, and struck the vehicle with unidentified objects, causing significant damage," the statement read.

The spokesperson said ICE removed 70 protesters and was able to transfer Soto Hernandez to the Elizabeth Contract Detention facility. 

"Visitation has been suspended out of an abundance of caution to ensure the continued safety of staff, detainees, and visitors," according to the statement.

Lawmakers visit facility

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was at the center Monday. 

"I'm here because of the letters that the folks wrote inside of there, inhumane conditions. We knew the conditions would be inhumane," he said. 

Detainees' shadows showed them waving their hands and flickering the lights in response to protesters' chants.

"I'm from New York, but Delaney Hall also holds New Yorkers who are being detained here, and we're really concerned about what's happening in here," said Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition.

U.S. Sen. Andy Kim visited the property along with Rep. Robert Menendez Jr., over the weekend. They are both New Jersey Democrats.

"Many of them raised big problems when it comes to getting medical treatment, the food being inedible, water problems," Kim said. "One judge has 74 cases before them just on Tuesday. This is clearly a farce of a judicial process."

Menendez Jr. returned Sunday, and just before 10 p.m., he told Gabriela Soto he wouldn't leave before he sees her husband.

Sen. Cory Booker said on Monday that he is going to the facility again to conduct oversight.

"Immigrants at Delaney Hall are on a hunger strike because they are fighting for their human rights. The conditions there are deplorable," he wrote on social media. "Enough is enough - not in New Jersey, not anywhere."

New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. said he visited the facility earlier this year and is calling for accountability and oversight.

"People are languishing without knowing if they'll have enough to eat or if they'll be able to receive medical care if they get sick. This is in addition to ICE's indiscriminate actions in our neighborhoods and communities. It's a cruel, coordinated campaign, and it's a disgrace," he wrote in a statement.