Hundreds of residents urge Union County commissioners not to sell adjacent jail for immigration detention

Dozens of residents and advocacy groups told the Union County Board of County Commissioners on the night the board opened its public-comment period that the county should not sell the nearby jail or allow it to be used for immigration detention.

Speakers said an unrestricted sale or an RFP that allows bids from private prison companies such as CoreCivic or GEO Group would invite ICE detention to the county and would harm immigrant communities in Elizabeth and across Union County. "We demand that you not even consider accepting bids from any prison or detention center corporations," said Farrah Naz of Resistencia. "This is not a neutral process. Opening bids to these companies under the excuse of exploration is a political choice that you're making, and a harmful one." (Farrah Naz, Resistencia)

The requests were both practical and moral: residents asked commissioners to pledge publicly not to accept private-prison or ICE-affiliated bids, to restrict any sale so it cannot be used for incarceration, and to publish the RFP text so the public can review it. Speakers described visits and conditions at Delaney Hall, recounted families separated by arrests and urged reuse options—affordable housing, community centers, arts spaces and restorative justice centers—citing examples from other jurisdictions.

Why it matters: Several speakers linked a possible sale to broader national increases in immigration enforcement, saying local decisions would have immediate human effects. "To allow them even a seat at the table, is that a signal that our pain is negotiable?" Naz added. Community organizers said an RFP has not been made public and urged county officials to restrict bidders to non‑carceral uses.

Supporting details: Jean Fortin and other residents described repeated, difficult visits to family members held at Delaney Hall and logistical barriers to visitation. Maya Ponton Aronoff, who researched jail conversions as a graduate student, said jurisdictions that restricted sales to non‑carceral uses have attracted developers proposing housing and community reuse while avoiding private-prison bids. Several speakers echoed a single practical request: publish the RFP and add enforceable sale restrictions that bar use for immigration detention.

County and commissioner remarks: When the floor closed, County Manager Oatman said the administration hears the concerns: "We are listening," he told the board. Commissioner Rebecca Williams said she was among the commissioners who previously voted to close the jail and said she is not in favor of reopening it "for a carceral purpose." No formal action or vote on the RFP itself was recorded during the meeting.

What went unresolved: Speakers repeatedly asked the board to pledge that it will not sell to ICE or private-prison companies; commissioners did not make such a public pledge at the meeting. Several speakers said they would return until the board either narrows the sale terms or withdraws the RFP.

The board adjourned after adopting a slate of routine resolutions; the RFP status and any restrictions on sale were not resolved and remain pending.