The Department of Homeland Security is pointing to commissary spending data at Delaney Hall, the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey, as evidence that reports of a hunger strike among detainees may be overstated. DHS provided revenue figures to Fox News Digital showing that weekly sales at the facility's commissary nearly tripled during the period when a hunger and labor strike was reported.

Regional news outlets including Gothamist first reported in late May that men housed at Delaney Hall had begun a hunger and labor strike around May 23. A source familiar with the facility's operations told Fox News Digital that the commissary, where detainees can purchase snacks and sundries, saw its revenue triple during the time period characterized by a hunger strike.

On May 26, Delaney Hall housed 724 individuals and recorded $11,498 in commissary revenue for the prior week. By June 1, with the detainee population decreased to 621 people, weekly sales topped $30,000. Despite a 14% drop in population, commissary revenue nearly tripled during the reported strike period.

What the Left Is Saying

Democratic lawmakers who toured the facility have described conditions they characterized as inhumane and have called for investigations into treatment of detainees at Delaney Hall.

Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., visited the center and echoed hunger strike reports before being caught in pepper-spray crossfire during protests outside the facility. Reps. Robert Menendez Jr. and Bonnie Watson-Coleman, both D-N.J., made similar assertions about conditions at the facility following their own tours.

Rep. Herb Conaway Jr., D-N.J., who toured the mess hall and infirmary alongside Rep. Donald Norcross, D-N.J., said in a statement he was "horrified and outraged" by reports of inhumane conditions and alleged lack of due process. The physician representing Kim's former Burlington County district demanded ICE shut the facility down until Trenton officials can conduct a formal inspection.

Conaway said he met with approximately 20 women at the facility, some of whom had been held for over a year. "Many of them had concerns, a lot of concerns. Some regarding their health," Conaway said in a recorded statement outside the gate. He emphasized that state authorities need to inspect the facility and let the public understand what is happening.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., who joined other lawmakers on a separate tour, alleged before reaching the microphone that "the food is very sparse" and that inmates eat only at 4 a.m., noon and 4 p.m. He also claimed detainees "very often" encounter maggots in their food, an allegation denied by DHS officials.

What the Right Is Saying

DHS officials have disputed the hunger strike narrative, characterizing it as political theater and providing commissary revenue data to support their position that detainees continued purchasing substantial amounts of food during the reported strike period.

On Thursday, a DHS spokesperson described the claims as a "hoax." Deputy Press Secretary Lauren Bis offered a pointed assessment: "The hunger strike hoax was actually just Delaney Hall detainees trading nutritious meals for Honey Buns and Hot Cheetos. It's time for sanctuary politicians to drop the political theater and work with us to get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities."

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin testified before Congress that much of the dispute stemmed from inmates balking at Americanized fare that did not match foods from their home countries. He quipped that Delaney Hall is not intended to be a "Holiday Inn." The DHS-communicated argument suggests detainees involved in the strike were forgoing scheduled meals in favor of commissary snacks rather than going without food entirely.

The source familiar with Delaney Hall's operations disputed Democratic claims about dire conditions and rotten food, while the revenue data DHS provided lined up with that account. A commissary menu showed items available for purchase including lotions, birthday cards, Cheetos, summer sausage and Hawaiian Punch.

What the Numbers Show

Commissary revenue figures from Delaney Hall show a significant increase in spending during the reported hunger strike period: on May 26 with 724 detainees, weekly sales were $11,498; by June 1 with 621 detainees (a 14% population decrease), weekly sales reached over $30,000. This represents approximately a 161% increase in revenue despite fewer people being held at the facility.

The average per-detainee commissary spending increased from roughly $15.88 to over $48 during those two data points. DHS officials argue these figures are inconsistent with widespread participation in a hunger strike that would leave detainees without access to food, noting that detainees continued purchasing snacks and sundries throughout the reported protest period.

The Bottom Line

The dispute over conditions at Delaney Hall has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over immigration detention policy. DHS officials have pointed to commissary revenue data as evidence undermining hunger strike reports, while Democratic lawmakers continue calling for independent inspections of the facility.

Rep. Conaway said he did not witness "major concerns" during his Wednesday visit with Norcross, though he emphasized that a formal state inspection would provide clearer answers about conditions at the center. Meanwhile, ambulances from a local Newark hospital arrived throughout Wednesday and Thursday, according to reports, which DHS officials say demonstrates medical services are available.

What happens next: New Jersey state authorities have been invited to conduct an independent inspection of Delaney Hall. The outcome of that review could resolve conflicting accounts about conditions at the facility.