Originally Published: 13 JUN 25 16:45 ET

(CNN) — Four detainees have escaped from a federal immigration detention center in New Jersey, which has been the center of protests since its opening in May and where both a sitting congresswoman and Newark’s mayor have been arrested.

The detainees were held at Delaney Hall, a privately owned 1,000-bed facility Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses as a detention center. Lawmakers and demonstrators have protested outside the facility, calling for more oversight and criticizing President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration.

The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the escapees, who were described as “public safety threats” in a news release announcing the reward.

The release names the escapees as:

• Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes: The Honduran national was arrested for aggravated assault, attempt to cause bodily injury, terroristic threats, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, DHS said. He entered the US in 2021 and was arrested in May, according to the release.
• Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez: The Honduran national entered the US as a minor in 2019 and was arrested for unlawful possession of a handgun last year, and for aggravated assault in May, DHS said.
• Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada: He is a Colombian national who entered the US in 2022 and was arrested for burglary, theft, and conspiracy to commit burglary in May, DHS said.
• Andres Pineda-Mogollon: The Colombian national overstayed his visa and entered the US in 2023, DHS said. He was arrested in April for petit larceny and last month, he was arrested for residential burglary, conspiracy residential burglary, and possession of burglary tools, the agency said.

CNN has not yet identified whether the escapees have legal representation and has reached out to local police departments for more information on each escapee’s case.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said additional law enforcement partners “have been brought in to find these escapees and a BOLO has been disseminated.” She also encouraged the public to call 911 or the ICE Tip Line: 866-DHS-2-ICE with any information that may lead to finding the escapees.

The escape comes amid escalating nationwide protests against federal immigration enforcement. In response to the demonstrations, which started in downtown Los Angeles and were prompted by immigration raids, Trump has federalized the National Guard against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

More protests are expected over the weekend, including more than 2,000 “No Kings” anti-Trump demonstrations planned across all 50 states.

‘Chaos’ at privately-owned detention facility

The detainees “breached security” at Delaney Hall on Thursday, DHS said. While the agency said “there has been no widespread unrest” at the facility, federal and local police officers responded to reports of a fight, according to an immigration advocate who was at the facility.

Amy Torres, executive director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, told CNN she heard from family members of detainees inside Delaney Hall the commotion began Thursday after the detainees had been fed insufficient lunch after going more than 20 hours without food.

Torres said Friday advocates have learned “chronic food shortages, undrinkable water, crumbling mesh walls, and inadequate staffing led to the chaos” that occurred Thursday.

“This should be the last day that GEO Group is allowed to do business in New Jersey,” she added, referring to the private corporation that owns the detention facility.

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker similarly described conditions at the facility as “untenable” and called for the DHS to “take immediate action to improve the conditions” in a post on X.

DHS said the facility “remains dedicated to providing high-quality services, including 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,” in its statement about the reward for information.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said “the latest reports” about the incident show the detainees escaped by “kicking through an interior wall” in a post on X.

He stated the city had never received permit applications from GEO Group to build an interior wall, which would have prompted inspections. “This chaotic outcome is exactly why the City has ordinances requiring all facilities, including this ICE facility, to apply for the proper permits,” he wrote.

“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,” he added.

The city formally filed a complaint against ICE use of the facility in March, claiming the agency hadn’t followed “proper building safety protocols.”

Baraka previously said in a statement to X he was “concerned about reports of what 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,” Baraka went on. “This is why city officials and our congressional delegation need to be allowed entry to observe and monitor, (and) why private prisons pose a very real problem to our state and its constitution.”

Mayor, congresswoman arrested at facility last month

Last month, several Democratic politicians protesting the facility’s opening clashed with federal agents. Baraka was arrested for trespassing and held in custody for several hours but the charge was later dropped. The mayor is now suing New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor over his arrest.

Stemming from the same incident, Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey was also charged with forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers – a rare federal charge against a sitting member of Congress – and indicted by a grand jury Tuesday. McIver says the charges are baseless.

The escape follows several high-profile jailbreaks in the past month.

Two inmates are still on the run after a group of 10 escaped from a New Orleans jail, and a former police chief convicted on rape and murder charges escaped from an Arkansas prison before being recaptured earlier this month.

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