The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) became involved in a public dispute with celebrity chef and humanitarian José Andrés over conditions at the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in New Jersey.

The controversy began after DHS officials denied reports that detainees were engaged in a hunger strike, insisting that all individuals at the facility receive three meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, hygiene products, and access to communication with family members and legal counsel.DHS further claimed that detainees are provided comprehensive healthcare and described conditions as adequate.

José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, challenged these assertions and called for transparency, asking to personally visit the facility alongside DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to observe conditions firsthand.

He emphasized the importance of treating undocumented individuals with dignity and humanity, regardless of legal status, and suggested that independent verification was necessary given conflicting reports about conditions inside the facility.

In response, DHS officials posted a sarcastic remark referencing a meal menu, including chicken fried steak, and shared what appeared to be a food rotation sheet for the facility.

However, critics quickly questioned the response, arguing that a posted menu does not necessarily reflect the actual conditions experienced by detainees.

Immigration advocacy voices, including senior fellow Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council, suggested that official documentation does not resolve allegations from detainees who report spoiled or inadequate food and other poor living conditions.The exchange has intensified broader debate over transparency, accountability, and humanitarian standards in U.S.immigration detention centers, particularly as Delaney Hall has been the subject of protests and political scrutiny in recent months.