NEWARK, N.J. — On Wednesday night, a tidal wave of protestors, many wearing gas masks and other face coverings, marched into a human chain in front of Delaney Hall in Newark, where a private prison operates a federal immigration detention center. The demonstrators, drawn from local activist groups and support organizations, were protesting claims that detainees are staging a hunger strike over deplorable living conditions.
Videos posted on social media show protestors using trash cans, old mattresses, umbrellas, and even orange traffic cones as makeshift shields and barricades. They attempted to block vehicles and civilians from entering or leaving the detention center, while shouting slogans such as, “You will hang!” and “Every cop, every fed, shoot yourself in the head.” Numerous ICE officers, equipped with helmets and tactical vests, faced the crowd.
In response, the ICE officers deployed pepper spray and brandished batons to push back the demonstrators and clear the roadway. Photographs capture the officer’s tactical equipment and the tense standoff with protesters.
A truck driver, frustrated by the blockage, stepped out of the vehicle to express his anger toward the protesters.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, announced that six demonstrators were arrested for assaulting law enforcement officers. “Assaulting and obstructing ICE law enforcement is a crime and felony,” DHS released in a statement. “Anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Earlier in the day, Democratic members of Congress from New York City—Representative Jerry Nadler, Representative Daniel Goldman, and Representative Adriano Espaillat—touring the facility as part of an oversight visit, described dire conditions. They claimed detainees were fed small portions of often spoiled food and that medical needs were ignored. The center is operated by a private prison company on an industrial stretch of Newark Bay.
In a counter-response, DHS spokespersons denied the allegations of a hunger strike, abuse, or poor conditions inside the center. They dismissed the criticism as political posturing.
The confrontation at Delaney Hall highlights the growing tension between immigration advocates and federal law‑enforcement officials. As activists continue to lobby for detainee rights amid allegations of abuse, ICE stands ready to defend its facilities—often with force—as the battle over immigration policy intensifies across the United States.
Videos posted on social media show protestors using trash cans, old mattresses, umbrellas, and even orange traffic cones as makeshift shields and barricades. They attempted to block vehicles and civilians from entering or leaving the detention center, while shouting slogans such as, “You will hang!” and “Every cop, every fed, shoot yourself in the head.” Numerous ICE officers, equipped with helmets and tactical vests, faced the crowd.
In response, the ICE officers deployed pepper spray and brandished batons to push back the demonstrators and clear the roadway. Photographs capture the officer’s tactical equipment and the tense standoff with protesters.
A truck driver, frustrated by the blockage, stepped out of the vehicle to express his anger toward the protesters.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, announced that six demonstrators were arrested for assaulting law enforcement officers. “Assaulting and obstructing ICE law enforcement is a crime and felony,” DHS released in a statement. “Anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Earlier in the day, Democratic members of Congress from New York City—Representative Jerry Nadler, Representative Daniel Goldman, and Representative Adriano Espaillat—touring the facility as part of an oversight visit, described dire conditions. They claimed detainees were fed small portions of often spoiled food and that medical needs were ignored. The center is operated by a private prison company on an industrial stretch of Newark Bay.
In a counter-response, DHS spokespersons denied the allegations of a hunger strike, abuse, or poor conditions inside the center. They dismissed the criticism as political posturing.
The confrontation at Delaney Hall highlights the growing tension between immigration advocates and federal law‑enforcement officials. As activists continue to lobby for detainee rights amid allegations of abuse, ICE stands ready to defend its facilities—often with force—as the battle over immigration policy intensifies across the United States.
