FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 23, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT: 

e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov

c: 202.913.0126

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Representatives Rob Menendez (NJ-08) and LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) toured the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark following the death of Haitian migrant Jean Wilson Brutus under ICE’s custody and mounting reports of inhumane conditions and systemic abuse within detention facilities.

“Congressional oversight is essential to preventing and ending the abuses at Delaney Hall and within other detention facilities nationwide. No human being deserves to suffer the conditions we witnessed behind the veil of Donald Trump’s deportation machine, today. But while the state of this facility was shocking, it was not at all unexpected. This administration and its ICE enforcers have demonstrated nothing but cruelty through their xenophobic and inhumane immigration policies that disproportionately target blue states and have swept up immigrants and U.S. citizens alike, often without due process, before they are funneled into detention facilities designed to strip them of their dignity and expose them to serious harm.

“Mr. Jean Wilson Brutus should still be alive today. This administration’s despicable response to this tragedy and their total lack of transparency speak volumes and tell us everything we need to know about how ICE views the human beings in its care. Let me be clear: any death in the custody of the United States federal government is the responsibility of our government and the administration that leads it. With four reported deaths in ICE custody in recent weeks and a record number since this administration took power, it is an insult to call this incident isolated. Being undocumented should not be a death sentence. I will continue to demand accountability and closely monitor the situation as we learn more.

“To see so many faces that look just like my own and those of my constituents’ be filled with fear for their lives and grief for a future that was stolen from them was a heartbreaking experience, and one that will stay with me for all time. Every day, this administration’s actions are rotting the soul of America. It is time to remember that we are better than these horrors. Our nation reaches its greatest heights when guided by our hearts, compassion, and a moral obligation to our neighbors in need. That is why my home of New York City will remain a sanctuary city to the oppressed and powerless. Our doors will always be open to those seeking refuge and safety, and they will always be closed to Donald Trump and his agents of hatred.”

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