WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) led a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Chief Executive Officer of The GEO Group, Inc., David Donahue, condemning the inhumane and unsafe conditions for visitors at the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey. Representatives Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), and Nellie Pou (NJ-09) also signed onto the letter. 

“Visitation plays a vital role in correctional settings by supporting family bonds and sustaining community relationships,” wrote the lawmakers. “The treatment of visitors should reflect this importance. Forcing families, friends, and community members to endure dangerous weather conditions while exercising their right to visitation undermines the values of compassion, fairness, and respect that should guide any institution charged with the care and custody of human beings.” 

Full text of the letter sent to Secretary Noem and Mr. Donahue can be found below and here. 

Dear Secretary Noem and Mr. Donahue,

We are writing to express our deep concern and condemnation over the treatment of visitors at the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey, as well as the reports of poor conditions within the facility itself. It has come to our attention that individuals visiting their loved ones have been routinely subjected to inhumane and unsafe conditions while waiting for entry into the facility.

Most recently, on September 6, 2025, visitors were forced to wait outside along a metal fence during thunderstorms, that included torrential rain and lightning, without shelter or consideration for their safety. It is both shocking and deeply irresponsible to line people up against a metal fence during an active lightning storm, a situation that poses obvious and severe risks of electrocution. Reports have also surfaced of visitors left standing for hours in the heat of the summer sun, exposed to extreme temperatures and health risks. These conditions are unacceptable and reflect a profound disregard for the dignity, wellbeing, and basic rights of those who come to visit individuals who have been detained. 

Visitation plays a vital role in correctional settings by supporting family bonds and sustaining community relationships. The treatment of visitors should reflect this importance. Forcing families, friends, and community members to endure dangerous weather conditions while exercising their right to visitation undermines the values of compassion, fairness, and respect that should guide any institution charged with the care and custody of human beings.

We urge Delaney Hall to immediately provide humane accommodations for visitors, including:

• Adequate indoor or covered waiting areas protected from inclement weather 
• Consistent visiting hours and reasonable timeframes for processing and entry to avoid excessive delays
• Clear communication and fair procedures to ensure transparency and accountability
• Reliable access to restrooms 
• Adequate access to parking
• Onsite access to cover-up garments for dress code violations

No one should have to risk their safety simply to see their loved one. We urge you to take corrective action without delay to address these unacceptable practices and request a written response detailing the steps your facility will take to ensure that visitors are treated with dignity and respect by October 16, 2025.

###