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Who is ICE detaining at NJ's Delaney Hall? Not as many criminals as DHS suggests.
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Jun 3, 2026
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Kena Betancur / AFP via Getty Images
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Jun 3, 2026
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been posting detainees' mugshots and criminal histories at the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in Newark, New Jersey.
The facility has emerged as a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration enforcement and treatment of detainees. But the agency’s own internal data paints a different picture of those inside Delaney Hall, where detainees have mounted a labor and hunger strike in recent weeks in protest of the conditions.
“We are getting murderers, pedophiles, rapists, and gang members off of New Jersey streets,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin wrote in one social media post, joined by several others detailing a litany of criminality.
More than 10,300 people have been detained at Delaney Hall between May 1, 2025, when the privately run facility reopened as an ICE detention center, and March 10, 2026, the latest date for which data is available, according to a Gothamist analysis of ICE data obtained via public records request by academic research group the Deportation Data Project.
The vast majority of those people — more than 70% — have no criminal history, according to the analysis. Only 12% have criminal convictions and 18% have pending criminal charges that have yet to be adjudicated.
Nationwide, 43% of ICE detainees have no criminal history, according to the data. Nearly 28% have criminal convictions and 29% have pending criminal charges.
New Jersey and New York officials, including members of Congress, have highlighted the fact that most Delaney Hall detainees have no criminal history while calling for the facility to be closed. Relatives of the detained have made the same pleas.
Tatiana Barrera, whose husband is detained at Delaney Hall, said at a recent press conference outside the site that her husband was detained while applying for a U visa, which is reserved for victims of crimes.
“These aren't criminals. They don't have no charges,” Barrera said, referring to the vast number of detainees. “The only thing they did was come into this country looking for a better future.”
Here’s what else to know about the demographic profile of the Delaney Hall detainees, according to our analysis of the ICE data. The average daily population at the site has generally hovered just below the 1,000-bed limit and was 845 as of March 10.
The vast majority of detainees are Latin American and Caribbean men
The vast majority of detainees at Delaney Hall — 75% — are men born in Latin America or the Caribbean, as of March 10, the latest date for which data is available.
That’s in keeping with the national figures, which show that 65.9% of ICE detainees nationwide as of that date were men born in Latin America or the Caribbean.
Other significant populations include women born in Latin America and the Caribbean, who comprise 6.9% of Delaney Hall detainees and 9.3% of ICE detainees nationwide, and men born in Sub-Saharan Africa, who comprise 5.2% of Delaney Hall detainees and 5.6% of ICE detainees nationwide.
After those groups, the largest subsets include men from other regions.
Most Delaney Hall detainees were arrested in New Jersey
The majority of detainees held at Delaney Hall – 63.2% — were arrested in New Jersey, under what ICE calls the Newark area of responsibility.
Roughly another third of detainees were arrested in the New York City area, which includes the five boroughs, Long Island and several upstate counties.
Most Delaney Hall detainees are transferred South before being deported
The majority — nearly 60% — of the more than 10,300 immigrants who have come through Delaney Hall’s gates were later transferred to other ICE detention centers before being deported, according to the Gothamist analysis as of March 10.
Those detention centers are largely located in the Southern United States.
Another roughly 22% of detainees remain in ICE custody as of March 10, either at Delaney Hall or other detention centers, and 9% were released into the country through various means. Another 5% voluntarily chose to “self-deport” and 3% were deported directly from Delaney Hall, without being transferred to another ICE facility.
The average stay is several days, but some stay for much longer
The median length of stay for those detained at Delaney Hall is 9.6 days. However, some detainees are held for much longer. One in five immigrants detained at Delaney Hall stays for over 30 days, and 6.6% stay for longer than 60 days. The maximum stay as of March 10 was over 266 days.
Michael Sol Warren contributed reporting.
Tagged
Race And Justice Unit
immigration
new jersey
newark
Arya Sundaram
Arya is a reporter covering race and justice. Got a tip? Email: [email protected] or reach Arya on Signal at 512-650-8767.
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