The women in unit 1 of the facility, run by the private Geo Group, joined a protest that has been ongoing for weeks by more than 300 male detainees. The announcement was made Thursday by activists gathered outside the building.
“Today we stand with the women who demand release, safe living conditions, medical care, legal representation, family visits, clean drinking water, and protection from abuse,” said Archange Antoine, a clergyman with the Clergy Coalition for Liberation, at the facility’s gate. “These are not radical demands – they are demands rooted in basic human rights.”
The women are calling on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to release detainees under 21, those with medical conditions, and mothers. They also demand improved detention conditions and faster processing of their asylum cases.
The protest at Delaney Hall comes amid a crackdown on immigration under US Donald Trump. On Wednesday, Trump signed a $70 billion spending bill for immigration enforcement. Detainees in other detention centers across the country have also joined strikes.
On May 22, detained men at Delaney Hall began a hunger and labor strike. They demanded a meeting with New Jersey’s governor, better conditions, and the release of sick and elderly detainees. According to the Guardian, some women had already joined that protest at the time.
Source: www.theguardian.com
