Commissary revenue tripled at Newark ICE facility during reported hunger strike period
Department of Homeland Security data showed commissary sales at Delaney Hall rose from $11,498 to more than $30,000 per week even as the detainee population fell 14 percent. Officials said the figures contradict claims that detainees were refusing food.
Fox NewsCommissary revenue at the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark more than tripled during the period when a hunger strike was reported, according to Department of Homeland Security figures shared with Fox News Digital. On May 26 the facility held 724 detainees and recorded $11,498 in commissary sales for the prior week.
A DHS spokesperson described the reported hunger strike as a "hoax" and said detainees were choosing commissary snacks over scheduled meals. One representative said he saw no "major concerns" during his visit to the mess hall and infirmary but called for state inspectors to conduct a formal review.
Another lawmaker alleged sparse food and unsanitary conditions before entering the building and claimed detainees sometimes ate maggots. DHS officials rejected those assertions. Ambulances from a Newark hospital were observed arriving at the facility on multiple days, according to the report.
Background on commissary operations The commissary sells items including snacks, lotions, and personal care products. Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Congress that some detainees objected to Americanized meals that differed from foods in their home countries. DHS maintained that the revenue increase undercuts claims of widespread food refusal during the reported strike period.
