Detainees at Delaney Hall self-deporting, say their rights to due process, legal counsel are violated

People detained at Newark’s immigration detention center, Delaney Hall, say they are self-deporting because judges are denying their cases despite having legal reasons to be in the U.S., according to a letter sent to advocacy groups. The five-page letter, titled “Our Cry,” was written by 25 detainees and marks the first joint statement from people inside Delaney Hall, the largest immigration jail on the East Coast. In the letter, they wrote that they are self-deporting because prosecutors are seeking to deport people to countries with violent conditions or political turmoil. The letter explains that detainees were escaping dangerous conditions when entering the U.S., and that they attended mandatory check-ins with immigration officials, obtained work permits, and filed taxes. They wrote that they are self-deporting because prosecutors are seeking to deport people to countries with violent conditions or political turmoil. The letter is available online for viewing. They say they are attending court hearings without proper legal representation, and some were arrested at scheduled immigration appointments, court hearings, and immigration offices. The letter is available online for viewing.

From New Jersey Monitor.