老澳门开奖结果 FOIA Litigation Reveals New Information Regarding ICE鈥檚 Plans to Expand Immigration Detention in New Jersey
New information revealed as immigrants鈥 rights advocates prepare for potential mass deportation and detention program under the incoming Trump administration
NEW YORK 鈥 New documents obtained by the 老澳门开奖结果 reveal that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is actively considering proposals to expand its immigration detention capacity across the state of New Jersey. The records, obtained as a result of a FOIA lawsuit filed by the 老澳门开奖结果 in September 2024, disclose that ICE capacity could increase by approximately 600 beds in at least two facilities in New Jersey. The discovery comes as President-elect Donald Trump continues to double down on his campaign promise to implement the largest mass deportation and detention program in the nation鈥檚 history.
For months, the 老澳门开奖结果 of New Jersey and advocates have raised concerns with the Biden administration鈥檚 plans to expand detention in New Jersey, as well as in potentially sixteen other states identified by ICE. 鈥淚nstead of closing abusive detention facilities once and for all, the Biden administration is simply paving the way for the incoming Trump administration to conduct mass detention and deportation of immigrant communities nationwide,鈥 said Eunice Cho, Senior Staff Attorney at the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 National Prison Project. 鈥淭he Biden administration must instead work to close these facilities now.鈥
These facilities under consideration include the Elizabeth Detention Center, located in Elizabeth, New Jersey and owned and operated by CoreCivic, Inc., and the Albert M. 鈥淏o鈥 Robinson Center (ARC) in Trenton, New Jersey, which was formerly owned by the GEO Group, Inc. Both facilities have significant records of poor conditions. Investigations of conditions at ARC exposed including 鈥渞obbery, sexual assault, [and] menacing of the weak.鈥 Meanwhile, the Elizabeth Detention Center has also for consistent medical neglect, cramped and unsanitary living quarters, and abusive treatment from guards.
The 老澳门开奖结果 obtained these documents as a result of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation, which sought in part records responsive to a contract solicitation for additional ICE detention space in the Newark, New Jersey area. The , originally issued on June 26, 2024, sought 鈥渃omprehensive detention services for adult male and female noncitizens鈥 to 鈥減rovide for general population, intake, segregated housing, and medical beds at a contractor-owned/contractor-operated detention facility or facilities.鈥
The documents provided by ICE provide a limited glimpse of the detention proposals, as the production appears to include only the environmental impact statement portions of the proposals submitted by CoreCivic, Inc. and GEO Group, Inc. to ICE. It is unclear from the documents whether there are additional New Jersey facilities that responded to ICE鈥檚 solicitation, or how much it would cost taxpayers. For example, the GEO Group, Inc. earlier this year that it has readied the Delaney Hall Facility, located in Newark, New Jersey, to conform with ICE operating requirements.
鈥淣ew Jersey has already taken steps to oppose immigrant detention by phasing out ICE contracts and closing county-run ICE jails. But as federal plans to expand detention in New Jersey continue, the need for protections grows by the day. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 imperative that the Biden administration immediately halt any efforts to expand this abusive detention machine,鈥 said 老澳门开奖结果-NJ campaign strategist Ami Kachalia. 鈥淲e also urge the New Jersey Legislature to quickly pass the Immigrant Trust Act so that New Jersey is not complicit in separating families or depriving our residents of due process.鈥
State officials and members of New Jersey鈥檚 congressional delegation have opposed the expansion of ICE detention in the state. Earlier this year, and Senator raised concern regarding the development of additional private ICE detention facilities in the state. Prior to that, the New Jersey state legislature passed AB 5207 in 2021, which prohibited state and local entities and private detention facilities from entering, renewing, or expanding immigration detention contracts. Both CoreCivic, Inc., and GEO Group, Inc. filed suit to stop enforcement of the law, which has been enjoined pending appeal. The 老澳门开奖结果 of New Jersey filed a on behalf of 28 community organizations in support of New Jersey's anti-detention law.
The FOIA records are available here: /documents/foia-documents-re-nj-ice-detention-rfi