New Jersey Democrats can stomp their feet all they want, but the federal immigration detention system isn’t exactly running on vibes—and according to border enforcement chief Tom Homan, one Newark facility at the center of a political firestorm is going absolutely nowhere.
The flashpoint is the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark, where protests, political grandstanding, and allegations of mistreatment have collided into yet another familiar national spectacle: Democrats demanding closure, federal officials refusing to blink, and reality quietly sitting in the corner doing paperwork.
Homan, speaking on “Hannity,” made his position crystal clear while swatting down calls from New Jersey Democrats—including Gov. Mikie Sherrill—to shut the facility down.
“The governor keeps saying she’s going to keep raising hell until this facility shuts down. Well, I’ve got news for the governor — that facility isn’t going anywhere,” Homan said.
“We’re going to enforce the law, we’re going to detain people, we’ll remove people…” And in case anyone missed the point, Homan emphasized that many of those held at the facility aren’t there by accident or political whim—they are being detained under federal law and, he says, cannot simply be released because activists or politicians don’t like the optics.
According to Homan, he has personally verified conditions inside the facility, pushing back hard against accusations that have fueled recent protests and calls for closure. The controversy escalated after detainees allegedly penned an open letter describing conditions as “inhumane,” claiming denial of medical care and insufficient food.
The letter, as reported, stated: “Initially, we ask for forgiveness for the way we entered the United States, but given the circumstances we were living in our countries, which placed our lives and those of some members of our families in danger. We feel vulnerable and, in a way, kidnapped — detained without justification — not to mention that we are being tortured physically and psychologically due to the poor food resources provided in these detention centers.”
Federal officials rejected those claims outright. The Department of Homeland Security Department of Homeland Security countered by releasing menus it says show detainees receive three meals a day, including items like chicken fajitas and Salisbury steak.
Meanwhile, tensions outside Delaney Hall have escalated well beyond political statements. Demonstrations have reportedly spilled into confrontations between protesters and law enforcement, with arrests made after clashes near the facility. The political response has been predictably split. Sherrill said she was “deeply disturbed” by reports surrounding the facility and doubled down on her long-standing opposition to private detention centers. “I have long opposed private detention facilities and advocated against them. I will continue to call for the closure of Delaney Hall because of reports like these,” she said.
On the national stage, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has also echoed calls for the facility to be shut down, turning Delaney Hall into the latest symbol in the broader immigration enforcement fight.
Homan, however, says Democrats are not just wrong—they’re fueling the chaos with misinformation. “We’ve got to remember what started all this. You’ve got Democratic lawmakers from Memorial Day making false allegations about the facility, about the food, the medical care, hunger strikes,” he said.
He added that he conducted his own on-site inspection, including a walk-through of multiple areas of the facility.
“I went into that facility. I went to the medical [portion]. I went through outdoor recreation, indoor recreation. 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,” he said.
And in true Homan fashion, he went for the full visual: “I made sure my tray equaled their tray. I had spaghetti and meat sauce. I had beans. 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.”
In other words, while activists and politicians continue trying to turn Delaney Hall into the latest flashpoint in the immigration wars, federal officials are signaling they’re not interested in negotiating its existence through press conferences or protest chants.
“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.”@RealTomHoman dispels false narratives from the destructive Radical Democrats around the Delaney Hall facility. pic.twitter.com/KmES1Ts1J7
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 2, 2026
