After Second Detainee Death at Delaney Hall, Pallone Holds Trump Administration Responsible for Lethal Medical Neglect and Demands Immediate Investigation

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

LONG BRANCH, N.J. — Amid reports that the latest detainee death at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark, NJ may have been brought on by pervasive medical neglect at the facility, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today blasted the Trump Administration for the deplorable conditions at Delaney Hall, holding the Department of Homeland Security and the company managing the Delaney Hall facility, GEO Group, directly responsible.

“When I demanded Trump’s DHS immediately improve conditions at Delaney Hall, I received radio silence. Now, another one of our neighbors has died at Delaney Hall because of President Trump and Secretary Mullin’s negligence and disregard for human suffering,” said Pallone. “This tragedy was entirely preventable, but this Administration’s cruelty ensures it will be repeated if immediate steps aren’t taken to strip GEO Group of its billion-dollar contract and shutter Delaney Hall.”

After a New York Times investigation documented even more troubling conditions inside the facility, Pallone on July 10 demanded immediate action from DHS to improve conditions and end GEO Group’s government-funded contract to operate the facility. Pallone did not receive a response to his letter.

Pallone has long been concerned about the condition of detainees at Delaney Hall after conducting multiple oversight visits of the facility. At these visits, he heard stories of detainees who were subjected to systemic medical neglect through a combination of poor staffing, lack of equipment, and inadequate access to basic medications such as insulin.

According to reporting by the New Jersey Globe, the detainee who died in DHS custody on the weekend of August 1 had diabetes and high blood pressure, and was unable to obtain the medication he was prescribed to treat these conditions. This medical neglect matches the eyewitness accounts described by Pallone and other members of the New Jersey delegation after repeated oversight visits.

“My colleagues and I warned Trump and DHS this would happen, and now a 39-year-old father has died because they refused to listen. There must be an immediate investigation. Inspectors from the New Jersey Department of Health must be allowed immediate and full access to Delaney Hall, detainees must be provided comprehensive medical care, and ultimately, this facility must close,” said Pallone.

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