2 Of 4 Escaped ICE Detainees Captured After ‘Uprising’ At Prison In Newark

This article was updated at 10:50 a.m. on June 17

NEWARK, NJ — One of four immigration detainees who escaped from a federal detention center in New Jersey still remains at large as of Tuesday, authorities say.

Civil unrest broke out last Thursday at Delaney Hall, a new ICE detention facility in Newark, with reports of escaped detainees, protests, poor treatment of inmates and a detainee “uprising” emerging from the controversial prison.

The facility is run by the GEO Group, one of the largest private prison companies in the world. It is the first federal detention center to open under President Donald Trump’s second term.

>> Read More: ‘Chaos’ Breaks Out At ICE Prison In NJ, Officials Demand Answers

Four detainees escaped from the prison, prompting an alert from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security:

“DHS has become aware of four detainees at the privately held Delaney Hall detention facility escaping. Additional law enforcement partners have been brought in to find these escapees and a BOLO has been disseminated. We encourage the public to call 911 or the ICE Tip Line: 866-DHS-2-ICE if they have information that may lead to the locating of these individuals.”

Federal authorities released the following details about each detainee:

• Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes of Honduras is accused of illegally entering the U.S. in 2021. On May 3, 2025, the Wayne Township Police Department arrested Bautista on charges of aggravated assault, attempt to cause bodily injury, terroristic threats, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes.
• Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez of Honduras is accused of illegally entering the U.S. as a minor in 2019. On Oct. 3, 2024, the Passaic Police Department arrested Sandoval for unlawful possession of a handgun. He was arrested again on Feb. 15, 2025, by the Passaic Police Department on a charge of aggravated assault.
• Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada of Colombia is accused of illegally entering the U.S. in 2022. On May 15, 2025, the Hammonton Police Department arrested Castaneda on charges of burglary, theft, and conspiracy to commit burglary.
• Andres Pineda-Mogollon of Colombia is accused of overstaying a tourist visa and entering the U.S. in 2023. On April 25, 2025, the New York City Police Department arrested Pineda for petit larceny. On May 21, 2025, the Union Police Department in New Jersey arrested Pineda on charges of residential burglary, conspiracy residential burglary, and possession of burglary tools.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI’s Newark field office initially offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of each inmate. That reward has been increased to $25,000, authorities said Monday.

Three of the four have since been re-arrested, federal authorities confirmed Monday.

Sandoval-Lopez was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), FBI and Passaic police in Passaic on June 13.

Castaneda-Lozada attempted to turn himself in to local authorities at the New Jersey State Police Bridgeton Station on June 13. However, the state police refused to take him into custody because they do not work with ICE, the DHS stated. Castaneda-Lozada surrendered himself to agents from FBI and ICE in Milleville on June 15.

Meanwhile, police continue to search for Pineda-Mogollon (see photo below, article continues underneath):

WHAT HAPPENED? (HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR)

Sen. Andy Kim and Rep. Rob Menendez were at the prison on Friday, and later spoke to reporters outside the facility about the incident.

Kim said he was told that four detainees were able to escape after pushing down a wall, which he described as “drywall with some mesh inside,” which led to an exterior wall. A major security review is now underway, and it is uncertain if other walls in the facility are also vulnerable.

Kim said the incident took place amid rising tensions over a lack of access to food. Advocates have also made other allegations about poor conditions, including medical care and sanitary conditions.

ICE started housing detainees at the 1,000-bed facility on May 1. The prison has seen a wave of controversy and protests over the past few weeks, including several arrests involving demonstrators.

Mayor Ras Baraka – who has been among the local officials demanding more oversight at the privately run prison – released a statement about last week’s “chaos.”

The mayor wrote:

“We are concerned about reports of what has transpired at Delaney Hall this evening, ranging from withholding food and poor treatment, to uprising and escaped detainees. This entire situation lacks sufficient oversight of every basic detail — including local zoning laws and fundamental constitutional rights. This is why city officials and our congressional delegation need to be allowed entry to observe and monitor, any why private prisons pose a very real problem to our state and its constitution. We demand immediate answers and clear communication with the GEO Group and the Department of Homeland Security. We must put an end to this chaos and not allow this operation to continue unchecked.”

Baraka released an update the next day:

“The latest reports from Delaney Hall indicate that four detainees did indeed escape and that their egress was accomplished by kicking through an interior wall. As stated in our ongoing legal complaint, the City of Newark has never received permit applications from GEO Group to construct an interior wall. Had it applied for a certificate of occupancy and/or construction permits, the city would have inspected the integrity of that wall. This chaotic outcome is precisely why the city has ordinances requiring all facilities, including this ICE facility, to apply for the proper permits – and why we have taken the GEO Group to court to ensure the safety of both detainees and their own employees. This incident is yet another outrageous validation of the negative consequences of a federal government that believes it is above the prudence and practicality of working within legal parameters, and encourages reckless operations of its collaborators.”

U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver – who was recently indicted over a scuffle that took place outside the prison on May 9 – also released a statement about the chaos at Delaney Hall on the eve of the escapes:

“I am carefully monitoring the situation unfolding at Delaney Hall, and am in contact with local and state law enforcement and officials. I have serious concerns about the reports of abusive circumstances at the facility. Even now, as we are hearing reports from news organizations and advocates on the ground about a lack of food and basic rights for those inside, the administration appears to be stonewalling efforts to learn the truth. My office has reached out to ICE for answers. ICE has not yet provided them.”

On the flip side of the coin, some Republican politicians have been supporting the Trump administration’s attempt to increase ICE detention capacity in New Jersey, including U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew.

The congressman hosted a House Judiciary hearing on “threats to ICE operations” on May 20 (watch video footage here).

Van Drew – who chaired the president’s re-election campaign in New Jersey last year – said that Delaney Hall houses people charged with serious crimes such as murder. The congressman claimed that detainees at the controversial facility are being “treated with dignity” and are being housed in a place that “exceeds the standards of many of our own U.S. prisons.”

MORE PROTESTS

Video footage shared by the NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice (NJAIJ) shows demonstrators lining up at the gate on Thursday evening, trying to prevent more officers from entering the premises. Other footage shows protesters trying to prevent a van from leaving the facility – which then “barrels past them” into the street, the group said.

Officers reportedly used pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

Essex County Sheriff Amir Jones told Patch that the sheriff’s office was among the law enforcement agencies that responded to Delaney Hall on Thursday night to provide support at the scene.

“When our officers arrived, the situation had already been resolved,” Jones said. “At no point did our personnel enter the facility—we remained on the perimeter throughout. While Delaney Hall is located in Essex County, it is a private facility that operates independently of the sheriff’s office.”

PRISON CONDITIONS

Newark’s mayor has previously accused ICE and the Geo Group of opening the facility without the necessary construction permits, continued certificates of occupancy, or requests to change the building’s use.

“They failed to give city officials access to conduct inspections required under municipal ordinances and state code,” Baraka has alleged. “This violates city and state law.”

Federal authorities have since allowed city staff inside the prison for inspections. Minor health violations were reportedly corrected on-site.

Despite the concerns of local officials and community members, Homeland Security officials have insisted that there is no uprising at Delaney Hall.

A GEO Group spokesperson also said there has been no “widespread unrest” at the facility.

“We are working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local law enforcement to apprehend these individuals and fully investigate this incident,” he told Patch on Friday afternoon. “The safety and security of the Delaney Hall Facility and our neighbors in the local community is our top priority.”

“We remain dedicated to providing high-quality services to those in our care, including include around-the-clock access to medical care, in-person and virtual legal and family visitation, general and legal library access, translation services, dietician-approved meals, religious and specialty diets, recreational amenities, and opportunities to practice their religious beliefs,” the spokesperson added.

Some critics remain leery about the conditions at Delaney Hall, however.

On Friday afternoon, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker – a Newark resident – said that the situation remains “untenable” at the prison.

“With serious security lapses, numerous reports of mistreatment by staff of detainees, complaints of persistent food shortages, and a troubling lack of transparency from facility administrators, it’s clear that GEO Group has shown it cannot—or will not—operate Delaney Hall humanely or safely,” Booker alleged.

“I have long opposed privately owned and operated immigration detention facilities because they are mired by rampant abuse and neglect of those in their care,” the senator continued. “After spending millions of dollars in upgrades it continues to be a house of horrors. The consequences of GEO’s mismanagement, and the Department of Homeland Security’s resistance to Congressional oversight, are borne by my neighbors in Newark and those detained at Delaney Hall.”

“The Department of Homeland Security has a duty to work with Congress to address the problem, take immediate action to improve the conditions at Delaney Hall, and ensure the proper and fair treatment of those detained,” Booker said.

PREVIOUSLY IN ESSEX COUNTY

Essex County has hosted immigrant detainees for the federal government in the past at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, a separate entity from the privately run Delaney Hall.

Multiple allegations of prisoner mistreatment were reported at the Essex County Correctional Facility during the Biden administration.

However, the county nixed its deal with Homeland Security in 2021 – the same year that New Jersey passed a landmark law banning prisons from making contracts to hold detainees for ICE.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.