Standing outside Delaney Hall, Newark’s ICE detention center that was re-opened shortly into Trump’s second term, you can often smell rotting animal carcasses. That is because there’s a fat rendering plant nearby. The wind is harsh, the cold feels especially bitter, and whenever trains pass through they honk their horns the entire time. This industrial corner of Newark is not habitable for human beings. Whenever someone expresses interest in volunteering at Delaney Hall, I tell them that I don’t recommend they do so if they have pulmonary issues.
Families line up for an hour before seeing their loved ones. They previously had to wait for longer but the visitation schedule has become more organized in the last few months. Children of all ages attend visitations with whichever guardians haven’t been kidnapped by the state. They have a harder time waiting in line for an hour, so they often run around in the mini parking lot in front of the main guard station.