Feds arrest 3 men accused of escaping immigrant detention center in Newark

Three of the detainees who escaped a Newark immigration detention facility last week have been arrested, but a fourth remains at large, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and FBI.

Federal agents caught Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez in Passaic, New Jersey, on June 13, DHS officials said in a release Monday. His arrest came a day after he and three other men allegedly broke out of the Delaney Hall facility amid what immigration lawyers and advocates described as a detainee uprising over poor conditions, though officials have denied there was major unrest.

The Homeland Security Department accused Sandoval-Lopez, a migrant from Honduras, of kicking law enforcement officers and threatening to kill them during the arrest.

Agents also arrested Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada, a migrant from Colombia, who surrendered to the FBI and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Millville on June 15, after first trying to turn himself in to state police in Bridgeton, according to DHS’ release.

An FBI spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that a third man, Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes of Honduras, was also taken into custody, but did not provide further details.

Attorney information for Sandoval-Lopez, Castaneda-Lozada and Bautista-Reyes was not immediately available Tuesday.

Another man who escaped Delaney Hall last week — Andres Pineda-Mogollon — has not been apprehended, DHS officials said. The agency said it was offering a $10,000 reward for information on their whereabouts.

Federal officials have said the detention facility remains orderly and accessible to detainees’ legal counsel and families. But advocates and attorneys representing people inside have alleged the 1,000-bed, privately owned center has failed to provide adequate food and visitation.

The four detainees were able to escape by pushing out a piece of drywall and tying sheets together to descend to the ground outside, U.S. Sen. Andy Kim and Rep. Robert Menendez Jr. said Friday. Kim said at the time he had been informed of potential “mass movements of detainees out of these facilities,” though he said he did not know whether all Delaney Hall detainees were being relocated.

Geo Group, the company that owns the facility, did not directly respond to inquiries about closing the site. A spokesperson also denied reports of widespread unrest at the detention center.

This story has been updated with additional information.