In Newark, New Jersey, a gloved and masked crowd surged toward the Delaney Hall immigration detention center on Wednesday night, sparking a violent clash with federal immigration officers. The protesters — many dressed in face coverings and gas masks — formed a human chain around the building, chanting aggressive slogans such as “You will hang!” while also carrying trash cans, old mattresses, umbrellas and other improvised barricades. Their goal was to draw attention to a hunger strike the agency claims is occurring inside the facility as a result of inadequate food and medical services.
The ICE officers, many wearing tactical helmets and vests, met the demonstrators by deploying pepper spray and batons. Video and photo evidence circulated online shows officers attempting to disperse the crowd and clear an entrance for incoming vehicles, while protestors blocked traffic and threw orange traffic cones toward the guards. Neal and other protesters attempted to block vehicles from entering the detention center’s parking lot, and a truck driver pulled his hands off the steering wheel in frustration when gunfire and shouting escalated.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a statement saying that roughly six demonstrators were arrested for assaulting law‑enforcement officers, a crime that carries a felony charge under current federal law. DHS also “will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law” anyone who assaults officers. The agency, however, dismissed allegations of a hunger strike and claimed conditions inside the facility are adequate.
A day earlier, Democratic members of Congress from Manhattan – Rep. Jerry Nadler, Rep. Daniel Goldman and Rep. Adriano Espaillat – conducted an oversight visit to the same detention center, where they described “dire conditions” in the camp. They criticized the private‑prison company that operates the facility for feeding detainees with small portions of often spoiled food and for ignoring medical needs. Their remarks have drawn further scrutiny from legislators hoping to push for stricter oversight of private immigration facilities.
The protest in Newark followed a broader national conversation about the treatment of people in ICE custody. Lawmakers, advocacy groups and the public continue to demand that postal facilities adhere to basic humanitarian standards while the agency maintains that its internal processes are compliant with federal regulations.
The clash highlights the tense and unpredictable nature of protests surrounding immigration enforcement, and it underscores the continuing policy debate about the conditions in federally run detention facilities across the country.
The ICE officers, many wearing tactical helmets and vests, met the demonstrators by deploying pepper spray and batons. Video and photo evidence circulated online shows officers attempting to disperse the crowd and clear an entrance for incoming vehicles, while protestors blocked traffic and threw orange traffic cones toward the guards. Neal and other protesters attempted to block vehicles from entering the detention center’s parking lot, and a truck driver pulled his hands off the steering wheel in frustration when gunfire and shouting escalated.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a statement saying that roughly six demonstrators were arrested for assaulting law‑enforcement officers, a crime that carries a felony charge under current federal law. DHS also “will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law” anyone who assaults officers. The agency, however, dismissed allegations of a hunger strike and claimed conditions inside the facility are adequate.
A day earlier, Democratic members of Congress from Manhattan – Rep. Jerry Nadler, Rep. Daniel Goldman and Rep. Adriano Espaillat – conducted an oversight visit to the same detention center, where they described “dire conditions” in the camp. They criticized the private‑prison company that operates the facility for feeding detainees with small portions of often spoiled food and for ignoring medical needs. Their remarks have drawn further scrutiny from legislators hoping to push for stricter oversight of private immigration facilities.
The protest in Newark followed a broader national conversation about the treatment of people in ICE custody. Lawmakers, advocacy groups and the public continue to demand that postal facilities adhere to basic humanitarian standards while the agency maintains that its internal processes are compliant with federal regulations.
The clash highlights the tense and unpredictable nature of protests surrounding immigration enforcement, and it underscores the continuing policy debate about the conditions in federally run detention facilities across the country.
