EXCLUSIVE: Snack Sales Inside Delaney Hall More Than Double Amid So-Called ‘Hunger Strike’
By Jennie Taer
As Democratic lawmakers and activists claim detainees at ICE’s Delaney Hall are engaged in a hunger strike, a different story is playing out inside the facility.
While detainees at the Newark, New Jersey, detention center are opting not to eat their regular meals, they’re going to the commissary to buy candy bars instead, a source familiar with the situation said recently. New data obtained by The Daily Wire shows that commissary sales at Delaney Hall surged 161%, rising from $11,498 on May 26 to $30,013 on June 1. While snack sales jumped, the detainee population fell from 724 to 621 during that same time period.
The so-called hunger strike stems from allegations of poor conditions inside the facility, where Democratic lawmakers like Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) have claimed that there are worms in the food.
President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said Monday that he personally visited the facility and ate the same food being served to detainees, which he said he enjoyed.
“I even made a surprise visit this weekend and walked into the cafeteria and ate the same meal that the detainees around me were eating, and I made sure my tray equaled their tray. I had spaghetti and meat sauce, I had green beans, I had bread and rolls, I had drinks, I had dessert. The food was good, it’s all a false premise. There was never a hunger strike,” Homan said.
“They may not be eating in the cafeteria, but what I found out they’re ordering food from the commissary and eating it in their cells,” he added.
The Department of Homeland Security has also repeatedly hit back at the allegations, saying “all detainees are provided with proper meals, quality water, blankets, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.”
Former ICE New York Field Office Deputy Director Scott Mechkowski recently told The Daily Wire that so-called hunger strikes where detainees are loading up on commissary snacks are all too common in immigration detention.
“I’ve seen real hunger strikes during my time as an ICE official, managing detention facilities. What’s happening at Delaney Hall is not a hunger strike,” Mechkowski said.
“When detainees are buying up Honey Buns and Snickers bars, and those with money are helping others get snacks, that’s not a hunger strike, it’s just a publicity stunt,” he added.
Meanwhile, Newark Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka announced Tuesday that he was expanding an existing lawsuit against Delaney Hall operator GEO Group. The state later announced a separate lawsuit against the private prison company, accusing it of refusing to allow state health inspectors inside.
Protesters have clashed with authorities for days outside the facility, leading to dozens of arrests.
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill held back state police from responding to the melee until nearly a week after the protests began. On Monday, Baraka instituted a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
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