Context:

A disturbance erupted at Delaney Hall, a private immigration detention center in Newark, due to detainees protesting against inadequate food and water supplies. The situation escalated with detainees attempting to break windows and reports of guards abandoning their posts, prompting a response from law enforcement agencies equipped with pepper spray and plastic handcuffs. The GEO Group, which manages the facility under a contract with the Trump administration, has been criticized for unsanitary and overcrowded conditions, which have been especially detrimental to detainees with medical needs. Protesters outside the facility attempted to block law enforcement vehicles, leading to the use of pepper spray by officers to disperse the crowd. The incident has intensified scrutiny and opposition from local officials and activists, who have been vocal about the facility's role in the broader immigration enforcement policies under President Trump.

Dive Deeper:

• Law enforcement officials responded to a disturbance at Delaney Hall after detainees protested against poor food conditions, which included irregular meal times and expired milk, exacerbating health issues for individuals with specific dietary needs.

• The GEO Group, a major private prison company, operates Delaney Hall under a contract with ICE, and has faced backlash due to allegations of overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions, which reportedly led to detainees sleeping on the floor.

• Protesters outside the facility attempted to impede law enforcement vehicles using barricades, and officers responded with pepper spray to disperse the crowd, highlighting the volatile atmosphere surrounding immigration policies.

• The unrest at Delaney Hall is part of a broader controversy involving the facility, which has been a focal point for protests against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, culminating in legal actions and public demonstrations.

• The incident has drawn attention to the conditions within the detention center, with detainees drafting petitions to expose the living conditions and seeking to involve their relatives and lawyers to bring public awareness to their plight.