While addressing a protester upset that Sherrill had not reported to the facility sooner, the governor said she was not allowed access.
“People have been asking for you,” the unidentified protester said to the governor. “They started their strike on Friday and the first thing they said is we want to talk to Governor Sherrill, and it took you four days to be here.”
Sherrill explained that her office has been working with federal immigration officials to gain entry to the facility. She committed to continuing to attempt to gain access.
“These private detention facilities, which I have long opposed, are not treating people in the humane way we want,” she said.
After her visit, Sherrill said in a statement that her request to access the facility was formally denied earlier in the day “raising serious questions about what they are trying to hide from public view.” She added that she visited the site to hear from advocates and the families of those detained.
“What I heard from them was heartbreaking,” she said in the statement. “I will continue to hold ICE accountable, and I remain grateful for the work of our federal delegation.”
The governor expressed concerns about Delaney Hall in a previous statement issued Sunday, calling reports of “unsafe, inhumane, and unconstitutional living conditions…completely unacceptable.”
