U.S. Briefs: New Jersey sues over ICE detention center

State officials have filed a lawsuit against the private prison company GEO Group for allegedly refusing to allow health inspectors into the Newark-based immigrant detention facility known as Delaney Hall. The detention center is the latest flashpoint in the nationwide fight over the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Hundreds of detainees began a hunger strike on May 22, according to the New Jersey Attorney General’s office, to protest substandard meals, insufficient medical care, and overcrowding. Protesters are also demanding the release of the most vulnerable detainees, such as the elderly, pregnant women, and those with medical conditions, said the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. Anti-ICE protesters and counterprotesters supporting the agency have surrounded the 1,000-bed facility for weeks. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill deployed the state police to keep the peace and prevent the federal government from sending more ICE officers to the area. Delaney Hall has attracted controversy since it reopened in May 2025 under a 15-year, $1 billion contract with GEO Group. Just one month later, detainees pushed down a wall during a protest, and four immigrants escaped. —Addie Offereins

Alabama

Gov. Kay Ivey officially declared June “Strong Families Month,” timing the ­proclamation to coincide with Father’s Day on June 21. The designation emphasizes the role of fathers and mothers in fostering stable families and healthy communities. According to Ivey’s announcement, research shows children raised by engaged parents are more likely to graduate from high school, avoid substance abuse, and achieve economic stability as adults. The governor’s office also cited U.S. Census Bureau data showing nearly one-third of Alabama children live in single-parent or unmarried-couple households. In Arkansas, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a similar June designation. “Fidelity Month” encouraged residents to renew their commitment to “God, family, community, and country.” —Kim Henderson

North Carolina

House lawmakers on June 3 approved a bill that sets guardrails around data center development and encourages reliance on nuclear power. The Ratepayer Protection Act addresses widespread concerns about the rapid growth of data centers and their toll on power grids. The bill would require data centers to use closed-loop cooling systems to limit water use and prevent them from getting property tax breaks. To address growing energy needs, existing power plants cannot be retired until nuclear resources replace them. That provision caused the most disagreement. “I wish we would … pass [the data center part] unanimously, and then take this energy portion of the bill and really sit down and review it,” House Democratic Leader Robert Reives said. —Bekah Bernhardt

California

The federal government sued the University of California Los Angeles on May 26 for acting “deliberately indifferent” toward anti-Semitic harassment of Jewish and Israeli students on campus. The 53-page complaint centers on pro-Palestine rallies and encampments in 2024 following the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Students were “physically assaulted, injured, excluded from campus, and deprived of educational opportunities” due to perceived Jewish or Israeli heritage, according to the Department of Justice filing. The complaint states the university violated Title VI requirements to protect students from unlawful discrimination and breached federal funding contracts and grants. It requests the court force the university to repay federal grant money going back more than two years, potentially hundreds of millions of dollars, and prohibit new contracts until UCLA complies with civil rights law, with a court-­appointed monitor overseeing the process. The lawsuit is the third the DOJ has filed against UCLA in recent months. UC President James B. Milliken told the Los Angeles Times the most recent lawsuit ignored the university’s recent actions to combat anti-Semitism. —Mary Jackson

Hawaii

The Aloha State unveiled a program aimed at easing its chronic doctor shortage—a gap equal to roughly 833 full-time physicians. State leaders appropriated $28 million in federal funding to pay the medical school tuition of qualified applicants who agree to work in rural Hawaii for five years after graduation. The Hawai’i Outreach for Medical Education in Rural Underresourced Neighborhoods (HOME RUN) workforce education program launched in April. The program defines rural Hawaii as any of the islands surrounding the main island, also called Hawaii, and some parts of the island of O’ahu, the third largest island. It costs roughly $146,688 to attend Hawaii’s only medical school. Gov. Josh Green said the state’s high housing costs make it difficult for students to pay off their student loans. Green, who is also a physician and helped create the program, didn’t finish paying off his medical debt until age 53 when he became governor. As of June 2, officials had received 122 applications and approved 44. —Addie Offereins

Minnesota

City officials in St. Paul will not pursue state charges against anti-ICE protesters who interrupted a Sunday service at Cities Church in January and occupied the building. St. Paul City Attorney Irene Kao said she had insufficient evidence to criminally charge the protesters under Minnesota law. She said her office evaluated video footage, investigative reports, and other materials and determined the incident did not include acts of violence, property destruction, or threats to public safety. She added that protesting peacefully was a protected right. Cities Church Pastor Jonathan Parnell said the city’s decision makes it acceptable for people to “invade a mosque, cathedral, or temple” and halt religious services while shouting in people’s faces and scaring their children. He accused the city of protecting only those it agrees with. The U.S. Department of Justice has already pressed federal civil rights charges against more than 30 people for their involvement in the protests. —Liz Lykins