DHS commissary data shows revenue tripled at Delaney Hall during the reported hunger strike period, undercutting Democrats' claims of dire conditions.
WATCH: Hawley fumes after 4 GOP senators help sink Trump-backed voter ID lawTrump expands TrumpRx prescription drug discount program to more than 800 medicationsFormer HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra advances to California governor general election, AP projectsReporter's Notebook: GOP bets on fraud crackdown as economic woes surge ahead of midtermsWar of words ignites over Trump admin rebuke of British police after teen bled to death in handcuffsWATCH: AOC leaves door open to 2028 White House bid: 'Maybe, maybe not' Ex-counterterrorism official Joe Kent endorses GOP Senate primary challenger as Trump backs Lindsey GrahamBill replacing 'mother' and 'father' with gender-neutral terms passes in New York, heads to Hochul's desk Spencer Pratt loses ground to Democrat while Hilton maintains lead in latest California ballot batch drop Schumer rips Senate Republicans for passing billions in ICE and Border Patrol funding in late-night voteWATCH: Maine residents weigh in on Platner amid mounting controversiesGreg Gutfeld: The Democratic Party saw Graham Platner as the ‘emblematic guy’Fetterman doesn't know why his fellow Democrats can't call out 'P-Hustle' PlatnerLaura: California's prolonged system of collecting, counting and reporting votes is a jokeTop Platner ally tells Fox News Digital that Platner is 'taking accountability' for past 'toxic' behaviorAnti-ICE agitator gets tossed outside Delaney Hall centerdetention center’s commissary may undercut Democrats’ claims that a reported"hunger strike" is rippling through the Newark facility, as commissary spending surged during the reported strike period.and reported allegedly dire conditions and rotten food, but a source familiar with Delaney Hall’s operations disputed their claims.
The source said Delaney Hall’s commissary — where inmates can purchase snacks and sundries — saw its revenue triple during the time period characterized by a hunger strike.backed it up and shared revenue data with Fox News Digital that supported the argument that detainees continued purchasing substantial amounts of food from the commissary during the reported hunger strike period. Regional news outlets like Gothamist reported that men housed at Delaney Hall had begun a hunger and labor strike around May 23.
, went to the center, echoed those reports and was later caught in pepper-spray crossfire when outside agitators sparred with ICE agents guarding the entrance. Other lawmakers like Reps. Robert Menendez Jr. and Bonnie Watson-Coleman, D-N.J. , made similar assertions.
On Thursday, a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital the claims have been a"hoax" and provided data that lined up with what the source familiar had said. On May 26, Delaney Hall housed 724 individuals and its commissary took in $11,498 in revenue for the prior week. Despite a 14% drop in detainee population, commissary revenue nearly tripled, and DHS officials suggested that detainees involved in the"strike" were instead eschewing their scheduled meals in exchange for snacks.
"The hunger strike hoax was actually just Delaney Hall detainees trading nutritious meals for Honey Buns and Hot Cheetos," Deputy Press Secretary Lauren Bis said. "It’s time for sanctuary politicians to drop the political theater and work with us to get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities.
" Bis was backed up by her boss, Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who testified before Congress that much of the dispute stemmed from inmates balking at Americanized fare that did not match foods from their home countries. ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH AGENTS OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER AS GOV. SHERRILL DENIED ENTRY Characterizations of the facility's conditions were also less pointed this week after Rep. Herb Conaway Jr., D-N.J.
, discussed his Wednesday tour with neighboring Rep. Donald Norcross, D-N.J. Conaway, who represents Kim’s former Burlington County district, said in a statement he was"horrified and outraged" by reports of inhumane conditions and alleged lack of Protestors, politicians and ICE agents gathered outside Delaney Hall, an immigration facility in Newark, N.J. , on May 27, 2026.
Conaway — who is a physician — said he and Norcross toured the mess hall and infirmary, and while he demanded ICE shut the facility down until Trenton officials can conduct a formal inspection and review, he did not witness"major concerns" during the visit.
"I had the opportunity, along with Congressman Norcross, to meet with about 20 women. Some have been here for over a year. Others have been a certain several months. Many of them had concerns, a lot of concerns.
Some regarding their health. Most had family members, children; loved ones outside of this facility and certainly they miss them very deeply and want to get back to their lives," Conaway said in a separate recorded statement outside the gate.
"It’s critical that the appropriate state authorities get into this building and get into this right away, do their job, and then let the public understand what's going on. I think that'll be better for everybody if that's done.
"before he even reached the microphone, alleging the"food is very sparse" and that inmates eat only at 4 a.m., noon and 4 p.m. "And very often, they eat maggots in the food," he said, making an allegation denied by DHS officials. He also claimed medical services were limited and that inmates were waiting a long time for treatment, an allegation protesters also However, ambulances from a local Newark hospital regularly arrived throughout the day on Wednesday and Thursday, appearing to contradict claims that detainees were not receiving treatment.
With lawmakers like Nadler alleging sparse food and unsanitary conditions, DHS officials argued that the commissary figures undercut claims that detainees were broadly refusing food during the reported hunger strike. Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.
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