The Delaney Hall immigration detention center, located in Newark, New Jersey, became the epicenter of a political confrontation between Democratic state authorities and the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), after complaints about inhumane conditions and a hunger strike led by hundreds of detained migrants.

Over the weekend, federal and state legislators from New Jersey visited the vicinity of the detention center to learn about the complaints made by the inmates. Among them were Democratic Senator Andy Kim and Congressman Robert Menendez Jr., who noted that testimonies collected inside the facility describe spoiled food, lack of medical care and degrading living conditions.

“They talked about inhuman treatment, bad food and that the water tasted unpleasant,” Kim declared after touring the center. The senator claimed to have spoken with dozens of detainees, who denounced “rotten food, denied medical care and a judicial process that was too fast to be meaningful.”

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill backed the allegations and demanded the closure of Delaney Hall. In a statement, he stated that the reported conditions are “unsafe, inhumane and unconstitutional,” and reiterated his opposition to private detention centers.

Sherrill also reported that he was denied access to the facility on Monday, which, he said, “raises serious questions about what they are trying to hide from public view.” The governor was accompanied by other Democratic legislators, including representatives Nellie Pou and LaMonica McIver, who participated in protests in front of the center.

However, the Department of Homeland Security rejected the accusations. In a statement, the DHS maintained that “there is no hunger strike at Delaney Hall” and stated that detainees receive three meals a day, drinking water, clothing, beds, showers, soap and medical care.

Acting DHS Deputy Secretary Lauren Bis called criticism from Democratic politicians “a political stunt” and accused so-called “sanctuary politicians” of discrediting immigration agents.

“The center does not present poor conditions or abuses,” said Bis. “ICE has higher detention standards than many American prisons.” In addition, he defended immigration operations, arguing that many of the people arrested by ICE in New Jersey face records for homicide, drug trafficking, aggravated robbery and sexual crimes.

DHS also noted that some detainees could voluntarily leave the facility through “self-deportation” programs, insisting that “being in detention is a choice.”

Despite this, human rights organizations and state legislators continue to demand an independent investigation into the conditions inside Delaney Hall.