Maplewood Benefit Concert for Delaney Hall Detainees Amid Protests

Published: Friday, June 19, 2026

by Michela DiLorenzo

MAPLEWOOD, N.J – Maplewood resident Melissa Citro collaborated with local immigration advocacy groups to launch a benefit concert for Delaney Hall detainees, from which all ticket proceeds will fund legal support for detainees and housing assistance for families of detainees. 

 

Co-produced by Citro and Protestra, the concert is on June 20 at 7 p.m. at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Maplewood. The event will feature a premiere of Composer Sheila Silver’s new song cycle “Songs of Resilience,” which highlights individuals confronting humanitarian crises. All ticket proceeds will be donated to Cosescha and First Friends of New Jersey and New York. 

 

Cosescha is an immigrants advocacy coalition group that supports Delaney Hall detainees. The organization recently worked with women inside the facility to publish online a list of demands, regarding alleged sexual assault and mistreatment of female detainees. 

 

First Friends of New Jersey and New York (FFNJNY) is a volunteer group who serves detainees and families whose lives have been impacted by U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Funds from Saturday’s concert will help the organizations support commissary and phone funding, immigration bond support, and legal support for detainees. Citro said this event was inspired by a visit to Delaney Hall in January, when she was “moved deeply” by the conditions in the facility. 

 

“The resilience I witnessed, in both those families and the people supporting them, moved me deeply, and I knew I had to do something,” she said. “I have been a professional opera singer for two decades, so I decided to use what I know.”

 

For more information reach out to Michela DiLorenzo and michela.dilorenzo@student.shu.edu 

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