Join us for a special morning and early afternoon led by the Oheb Shalom Social Justice Initiative, a discussion of ICE at Delaney Hall in Newark, where almost 1,000 local people are being detained. Immigrant advocates have argued that conditions there are inhumane and do not comply with detention standards as set by the American Correctional Association, and that proper permits for operation have never been obtained. According to the Department of Homeland Security, 90% of those detained there have no criminal record. Visiting conditions are dreadful, especially in winter, when families of those detained have had to wait in the cold – with no seating or toilets – for permission to enter.

Delaney Hall is an example of the disturbing conduct that led United Synagogue, the Rabbinical Assembly, and the Cantorial Assembly to sign onto the Jewish Cross-Denominational Statement Against Violent Immigration Enforcement. It was also where three New Jersey congressional representatives and Newark’s mayor were denied entry in May to observe conditions. One of them, Rep. LaMonica McIver, still faces charges of "assault" on federal officers stemming from that visit.

We'll begin with a service led by Cantor Kissner, featuring a D’var Torah from Rabbi Anne Laurent.  The service will be followed by a Kiddush lunch and program led by Kathy O’Leary and Delia Calderón Sanango, joined by Rabbi Laurent, about what’s happening on the ground at Delaney Hall – to detainees, their families, and those who advocate on their behalf.

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Rabbi Anne Laurent is a Jewish chaplain who has served in New Jersey hospitals for a decade, offering spiritual
care to patients and families across faith traditions. Born in France, she is fluent in English, Spanish, and
French, and brings a chaplain’s lens to Torah – grounded in presence, ethical attentiveness, and lived
experience. She currently volunteers weekly at Delaney Hall in Newark, where she draws on her pastoral
training and language skills to support immigrant families affected by detention. She lives in Montclair. 

Kathy O’Leary has been the coordinator for the New Jersey region of Pax Christi USA, the international Catholic peace movement, for nearly 15 years. She has become the de facto coordinator of community support and vigils on behalf of Delaney Hall detainees and their families, and publishes a weekly report on developments there. In 2022, she was named an “ambassador of peace,” and in 2023, she was elected to Pax Christi USA’s National Council. She has been focusing on the issue of immigration detention since 2007. She has written and contributed to reports, articles, and op-eds on ICE detention, organized local, state-wide and regional protests and vigils and worked on deportation defense campaigns. She has represented Pax Christi in a number of coalitions, including NJ Advocates for Immigrant
Detainees, NJ Prison Justice Watch, and the Interfaith Campaign for Just Closures. She was previously a member of the board of First Friends of NJ & NY, where she served for a time as its Vice-President.

Delia Calderón Sanango is a bilingual legal advocate and public health professional whose work centers on justice, accountability, and the dignity of immigrant and vulnerable communities. A longtime resident of West Orange, she has spent more than a decade in community advocacy, beginning at age fourteen when she started volunteering alongside her mother with Action 21 in Jersey City — an intergenerational commitment to service that continues to guide her work today. Delia majored in History at the University of Puerto Rico, where she developed a deep understanding of the colonial structures that shape the Americas — a perspective she brings to immigrant justice work, where these dynamics are often overlooked. She is nearing completion of her Master of Legal Studies at Seton Hall Law and is preparing to undertake the Graduate Certificate in Tribal Sovereignty and Federal Indian Law at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She will soon begin a new role at Essex County College, expanding her commitment to educational access and community engagement. Across her roles in public health, compliance, and legal outreach, Delia brings a trauma‑informed, culturally responsive approach to supporting families navigating complex systems. As a mother to an enthusiastic toddler, she has even brought her child with her to Delaney Hall, where brainstorming kid‑friendly comfort kits and snacks became a shared act of care, creativity, and solidarity. Delia is known for bridging perspectives and grounding policy conversations in historical awareness, humanity, and hope.

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Compassion in Action: Standing with Families at Delaney Hall

In the spirit of Refugee Shabbat, we aren’t just speaking about our values—we’re living them. On Sunday, March 22, we’re heading to Delaney Hall to show up for families who are often forced to navigate a cold and indifferent system alone.

Our Mission is Simple, but Vital:

Provide Relief: We’re hand-delivering supermarket gift cards to help families keep food on the table while their loved ones are detained.

Bear Witness: We’ll join Eyes on I.C.E. to ensure these families know they have a community standing behind them.

Don’t just watch from the sidelines. Be the support they need.  Join the project here.