FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 13, 2026

Analilia Mejia Statement on Installation of Tents and Portable Restrooms for Delaney Hall Visitors

Newark, NJ — Today, Analilia Mejia, candidate for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, issued the following statement regarding the Installation of Tents and Portable Restrooms for Delaney Hall following her visit to Delaney Hall on Saturday, January 10th.

“I’m relieved to hear Essex County is committing to installing tent shelters and portable restrooms near Delaney Hall so volunteers and advocates are treated with basic humanity and dignity. For months, advocates and families of immigrants have been calling for these fundamental needs to be met.

“This past Saturday morning, I visited Delaney Hall and spoke directly with immigrant families, witnessed visitation conditions firsthand, and met with community volunteers providing support. After spending a couple hours with the families of the detained and the volunteers and advocates who offer help, it was clear that Delaney Hall is emblematic of the cruelty and failure of our government. Families with children and the elderly were being forced to wait in the cold, under little more than a metal awning and benches. There are no bathrooms or a place to warm up, nor is there dignity and respect. That will now begin to change.

“Today’s announcement would not have been possible without the organizing and leadership of ‘Eyes of ICE,’ which has mobilized volunteers and coordinated organizations at Delaney Hall, along with Pax Christi, Action 21, First Friends of New Jersey and New York, Make the Road New Jersey, the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, and so many others who have done this work. And I am truly grateful to all the Essex County officials who took my calls this weekend, listened to their constituents and made today’s announcement possible.

“As a community, we have a moral obligation to stand with immigrants. ICE is operating a black hole facility of abuse and cruelty that must be shut down. It’s time to abolish ICE, now. In the meantime, steps like the action Essex County took today help support our immigrant communities, and I will continue to stand with immigrants every single day until there is real justice and accountability.”