Democratic elected officials and immigration advocates are calling for the closing of Delaney Hall, the Newark center for detained immigrants. They cite poor conditions, including inedible food, and say detainees lack access to proper medical treatment, backing up what people who are being held say in a series of open letters.
Many Republicans, though, accuse Democrats of creating a political spectacle around the facility. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2nd) is the only Republican to tour the facility since protests erupted over the weekend, and he has nothing but praise for its operations.
As a state senator, Van Drew said, “I was head of the prison gang task force. So I’ve seen all the prisons in New Jersey.” He said he was “surprised” by conditions at Delaney.
“Everything was clean, everything was nice, everything was safe,” Van Drew said. “They had meals that were nutritious, a hot breakfast, a hot lunch, a hot dinner with vegetables, fruit, lean meats, with basically what a diet should be.”
Meals can accommodate religious requirements as well as health needs — for example if someone needs a low-sodium diet due to blood pressure issues, Van Drew said. His account doesn’t match that of the advocates, and he says the difference is political.
“People are using this politically to try to make something that just isn’t true,” Van Drew said. “There aren’t children, there aren’t babies, there aren’t pregnant women — just, those things aren’t there.”
“They say people are sick and nobody’s taking care of them,” Van Drew said. “I’m a dentist, so I went to medical school. I spent some time with the physician. People are coming in sick very often. And they’re doing tests on them. He’s been prescribing blood pressure medication, cholesterol medication, diabetes medication.”
Van Drew points out that many people who are being detained have serious criminal records or charges. He says he has heard no firsthand accounts from people who say they are being detained without due process, or while they are petitioning for legal status.
“If you’re there and you really don’t like it and you don’t want to be there, the U.S. government will make sure that you’re able to get back to your country of origin or another country,” Van Drew said. They can leave if it’s so bad here and they can go elsewhere. Very, very few people are opting to do that.”
Van Drew will face Democrat Zack Mullock in the midterm elections in November. The congressman’s message to voters is this: “I’ve been here for a number of years and I fought hard and worked hard for them. I love South Jersey and my final message is I really truly love America.”
