Why ICE Detention Centers Fear Work Strikes More Than Hunger Strikes

About 300 detainees at Delaney Hall in Newark stopped working and eating on May 22, 2026. This matters because immigration detention centers depend on detainees to cook, clean, and do laundry—for $1–$3 daily. When workers refuse, operations collapse. Labor strikes hit harder than hunger strikes alone, giving detainees unexpected leverage over an agency built on their compliance.