- United States
- Wash.
- Letter
Delaney Hall needs to be investigated and held accountable now. The GEO Group is running a $1 billion, 15-year federal contract at this facility while detainees report overflowing toilets, worm-riddled food, extreme heat, and no medical care. Emanuel Rodrigues, a man who requires a wheelchair, had his mobility aids taken away for 40 days and was then thrown into medical isolation for four months. That is not detention — that is punishment.
Congress has the power to act here, and the record demands it. Rep. Rob Menendez has conducted 15 oversight visits and helped secure the release of nearly a dozen detainees — proof that scrutiny produces results. Sen. Andy Kim was pepper-sprayed on Memorial Day while trying to de-escalate a confrontation at the facility. Adriana Quiroz Zapata, a woman with protected status under the Convention Against Torture, was deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo. These are not edge cases. Conduct a full congressional investigation into conditions at Delaney Hall, subpoena GEO Group's contract compliance records, and push to terminate a deal that is funding documented abuse with taxpayer money.