essex county commissioner brendan gill condemns inhumane detention practices and calls for due process protections

Newark, NJ - December 16, 2025 - Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill today denounced the continued detention of individuals at immigration facilities across the country, including Delaney Hall in Newark, calling the practices unlawful, inhumane, and a violation of Constitutional due process. Commissioner Gill emphasized that the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution apply to all people on American soil, including immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and American citizens.

“Those being held in detention centers deserve due process and the right to a fair and free trial,” Commissioner Gill said. “Under the Trump administration, thousands of individuals who are lawfully following the asylum process have been taken from their communities and detained without cause. Regardless of political beliefs, we must uphold the Constitution and defend the rights it grants.”

Commissioner Gill highlighted the case of Ali Sajad Faqirzada, an Afghan refugee who fled the Taliban with his family in search of safety. Mr. Faqirzada, a full-time student and security guard with no criminal record, was pursuing asylum through legal channels when he was detained at Delaney Hall. “His story reflects a disturbing national pattern—innocent, hardworking people denied their Constitutional rights despite complying with the law,” Gill said.

Calling for immediate action, Commissioner Gill urged an end to ICE’s unlawful arrests and demanded the release of all individuals being held at Delaney Hall and similar detention centers who have no criminal records or charges. “Refugees and immigrants deserve dignity, humanity, and the opportunity to lawfully pursue the American dream,” Gill concluded.

Read Commissioner Gill's letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem below or at this link.

Secretary Noem,

Those being held in detention centers across the country, including Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, deserve due process and the right to a fair and free trial. Our Constitution guarantees these rights to all who stand on American soil, including immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and American citizens alike. Regardless of political beliefs, we must uphold the Constitution and defend the rights it grants.

As a county representative, I am appalled by the illegal and inhumane treatment of detainees under the Trump administration. This cruelty has been imposed on thousands nationwide, and I am deeply troubled by the growing number of individuals who are following the legal process yet are taken from their communities and placed into detention without cause.

One particularly troubling case is that of Ali Sajad Faqirzada, an Afghan refugee whose family sought safety in the United States after fleeing the Taliban. Known as a hardworking, kind, and dedicated member of his community, Mr. Faqirzada was a full-time student and security guard with no criminal record. He was lawfully pursuing the asylum process and following a legal pathway to citizenship, yet now sits detained at Delaney Hall. His story reflects far too many we have seen this year: innocent people ripped from their families and denied their Constitutional rights.

Refugees and immigrants deserve to lawfully pursue asylum and be treated with dignity and humanity. These individuals are striving for their share of the American dream but are being denied that opportunity by those in Washington. That is why I am calling for an end to ICE’s unlawful arrests and for the release of all individuals being held without criminal records or charges at Delaney Hall and similar detention centers nationwide.

-Essex County Commissioner Brendan W. Gill