DHS disputes Mikie Sherrill's Delaney Hall victory claim: 'We didn't cave to governor's demands'

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY: New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced on Sunday, May 31, that family visits have been restored at Delaney Hall in Newark after the federal government "met our demands," but the Department of Homeland Security immediately fired back, declaring, "we did not cave to the governor's demands."

The federal agency disputed her claim of victory, stating that visits resumed only because local law enforcement helped bring violent riots under control.

DHS disputes Mikie Sherrill's visitation victory claim

Governor Sherrill claimed on social media that her pressure campaign forced federal authorities to restore access to the 1,000 migrants held at the privately run Delaney Hall facility, posting that "DHS has met our demands to restore family visitation."

The Department of Homeland Security rejected this narrative, arguing that visitation had been paused due to safety concerns stemming from escalating protests.

"We did not cave to the governor's demands," a spokesperson for the department told the New York Post. 

The agency stated that operations returned to normal only after a secure perimeter was established.

"Visitation was suspended because the violent riots outside the facility made it unsafe for our officers, detainees' families and lawyers to visit the facility," the spokesperson continued.

"With Delaney Hall secure, ICE operations continue as normal. To be clear: Visitation was only suspended because of violent riots. Now that we have a secure perimeter, visitation can resume."

Mikie Sherrill seeks reforms at ICE detention center

In her social media statement, Sherrill outlined the timeline for the facility, writing, "Starting today, limited visitation will resume at noon, and regular visitation hours will be restored beginning tomorrow."

She also called for systemic changes, stating, "I continue to call on DHS to provide appropriate care and medicine for all detainees, give detainees a meaningful opportunity to review their cases, stop pressuring detainees into signing deportation documents, be transparent about who is being held in this facility, and ultimately close this facility."

Sherrill also urged demonstrators to maintain order, pleading with them "to lower the temperature and protest peacefully, so we can continue making progress for families and detainees while avoiding any ICE escalation that would only create more fear and uncertainty in our communities."

Violence erupts outside Delaney Hall facility

The dispute follows a weekend of escalating chaos outside the Newark facility, which became a focal point for demonstrations after reports emerged that up to 300 detainees had launched a hunger strike over poor conditions.

Tensions initially spiked on Memorial Day when Governor Sherrill and other local Democratic officials were denied entry to the facility for an inspection, sparking mass protests that culminated in crowds hurling rocks, throwing a cinder block through an ICE patrol car windshield, and biting three officers.