Todd Homan, former acting ICE director, warned that the Trump administration may seek a court order to force‑feed undocumented immigrants striking at the Delaney Hall detention center, sparking a political clash with New Jersey officials and raising concerns over detainee rights and health standards.
Former acting ICE director Todd Homan warned on Tuesday that the Trump administration could seek a court order to force‑feed illegal immigrants who have begun a hunger strike at the Delaney Hall detention center in New Jersey .
Homan told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that the agency would not change its policy simply because detainees refuse food, adding that "if it gets bad enough and physicians feel they are in extreme medical danger we will get a court order and force‑feed them.
" He argued that the strike would not lead to release, noting that the facility's standards are higher than those of federal prisons and that ICE has invested nearly a billion dollars in healthcare for detainees during his tenure. The hunger and work strike was triggered last Friday after activists and detainees described the conditions at Delaney Hall as "deplorable," citing inadequate food, limited medical care, and delayed legal proceedings.
All individuals held at the center are undocumented immigrants awaiting deportation hearings or transport. House and Senate Democrats have condemned the situation, saying the treatment violates basic human‑rights standards. Homan countered these accusations by emphasizing ICE's detention standards, which he claimed are "the highest in the industry, better than any state prison, county jail, or federal lock‑up.
" He also highlighted that, since the start of fiscal year 2026, 29 detainees have died across the United States-a figure that already exceeds the previous record of 28 deaths in fiscal 2004. New Jersey's political leaders pushed back sharply. State Senator Brian Bis described the allegations as a "political stunt" by sanctuary‑city advocates, insisting there is no hunger strike and no substandard conditions at Delaney Hall. Rep.
Rob Menendez (D‑NJ), who visited the facility over the weekend, echoed those concerns during a CNN interview, warning that force‑feeding could constitute a breach of humanitarian standards. Menendez asked whether he feared Homan's proposed court‑ordered feeding, answering that he does, because he believes ICE "has no limits on its cruelty" and should focus on providing adequate medical attention rather than suppressing detainees' protest.
The controversy highlights the broader national debate over immigration enforcement, detainee rights, and the political calculus of both Republican and Democratic leaders as the 2026 mid‑term elections approach
Immigration ICE Hunger Strike Force-Feeding New Jersey
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