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EXCLUSIVE: Revenue figures from the Delaney Hall ICE detention 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.
A slew of Democrats have toured the facility 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.
When asked about the claim, the Department of Homeland Security 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.
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Regional news outlets like Gothamist reported that men housed at Delaney Hall had begun a hunger and labor strike around May 23.
Soon after, Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., 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.
As the hunger strike period progressed, that number shot up week over week.
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On June 1, the population inside had decreased to 621, but the commissary recorded weekly sales topping $30,000.
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.
Mullin quipped that Delaney Hall is not intended to be a “Holiday Inn.”
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A commissary menu provided by DHS showed scores of items inmates are able to purchase, including lotions, birthday cards, Cheetos, summer sausage and Hawaiian Punch.
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 due process.
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.”
Last week, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., joined other lawmakers on a separate tour and offered a different assessment:
Nadler began speaking out against conditions at the center 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 shouted at ICE agents later in the day.
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.
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