By Patty Macias
About a year ago, Wendy Jacques began making weekly visits to Delaney Hall with PeaceWorks, a New Jersey advocacy group formed in the 1980s to support victims of the Nicaraguan civil war. At first, volunteers simply held vigils.
As Jacques recalled, “We would stand out in the heat with our signs, keeping an eye on what was going on and making sure there was a physical presence.”
As more families began to arrive to visit loved ones, Jacques noticed that more volunteers started showing up. Soon, an informal coalition took shape, volunteers began offering food and water and setting up umbrellas to shelter visitors from the rain and sun. A real community began to emerge.
“One woman started coming every week to grill hot dogs, which people loved!” Jacques recalled. “Everyone called her 'Hot-Dog Paula.' Another group started bringing diapers, and eventually it grew into a more organized mutual aid effort. Even families with loved ones in detention started bringing food and donations.”
Jacques also shared the story of a woman who fled to the United States with her female partner after surviving kidnapping and violent threats. Following her release from detention, the couple made it a point to send food and toys to other families in need whenever they could.
Despite the occasional joyful moments with families and young children, Jacques noted that the work takes a heavy toll. “There are a lot of sad moments, too, where people are heartbroken and crying.”
In the early days, the families arriving at the facility usually had some experience navigating the complex U.S. immigration system. “They kind of knew ... what papers they needed to have,” Jacques explained. “They kind of had a better idea of what was going on.”
Lately, however, the demographic has shifted drastically. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has increasingly targeted long-term residents who have built lives in the country over decades.
“For a while we had fewer families because there were issues at Delaney Hall and they were moving people. We’ve had this huge surge because ICE is picking up people in record numbers right now.”
They're picking up so many people that have been here like 30, 35 years,” she said, noting that many have had no prior contact with law enforcement or immigration officials.
When these families show up, they are suddenly tossed into a system they know nothing about, completely unprepared for the legal battle ahead. “Their families come and they're completely shell shocked,” Jacques said. “They don't have any documents to fight the case. They don't know anything about the system.”
For the volunteers watching this unfold week after week, the human toll is unmistakable. “It has been really, really rough,” she added.
For Jacques, finding a way forward often comes from witnessing the persistent kindness of the community that has built up around Delaney Hall, anchored by a deep belief in mutual responsibility. “These are our neighbors and our community members and our friends,” Jacques emphasized. “They're not separate from us.”
That sense of neighborly connection has inspired people to step up in creative, highly personal ways. “I feel like I've learned so much from people of all ages,” Jacques shared, pointing to community members ranging from “the grannies that are like knitting little booties for the babies” to a volunteer who makes clothes for naked donated dolls. When a pair of young twins visited asking for toy slime, a volunteer went home and made it by hand. Younger generations are bringing their own talents to the effort, too. “One young woman is doing stand-up comedy to make some money for grocery cards,” Jacques noted, while another organized an event where guests bring a dish and a $20 donation.
Getting involved can feel daunting at first, but Jacques encourages people to push past their hesitation.
“I commit a lot of time at Delaney Hall, but I feel like it's also helping me survive this time. Of course, everybody wants a sense of purpose, but I see people contributing and sharing in different ways. People are so kind. That helps me get through it.”
Readers interested in helping Delaney Hall families by contributing grocery cards can use the website givebutter.com/GroceryCards or send contributions to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, earmarking funds for Delaney Hall.
This article appeared in the Autumn 2026 issue of Living Peace.