A series of escalating clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement outside an immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, has become a significant flashpoint in the ongoing protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
More than 80 individuals have been arrested since late May as activists gather outside Delaney Hall, expressing solidarity with detainees who allege dire living conditions within the facility.
The Trump administration has consistently defended the treatment of those held at the 1,000-bed center.
Delaney Hall, operated by Geo Group, a private prison contractor managing numerous detention centers nationwide, faces severe accusations of neglect.
Detainees initiated a hunger strike last month, according to immigrant advocacy group Cosecha, sending out handwritten letters detailing demands for improved living conditions and better medical care, citing instances of denied medication.
These allegations echo similar claims of medical neglect for serious and chronic conditions made by detainees in other facilities across the country, where hunger strikes have also been announced.
Specifically, Delaney Hall detainees report being served moldy and expired food, some containing maggots, and being housed in overcrowded cells without air conditioning.
Democratic members of Congress from New York City, who visited the facility early in the protests, have corroborated the detainees’ accounts, deeming them credible.
Despite these claims, President Donald Trump and his deputies have staunchly defended the center’s operations, denying any hunger strike, abuse, or poor conditions.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin recently stated, “The fact is, we’re giving them the calories they want. This isn’t Holiday Inn.”
Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, also praised the food after a visit, telling CBS News, “The spaghetti was good.”
Geo Group has dismissed the criticisms as “a politically motivated campaign by outside groups to dismantle ICE and federal immigration detention by targeting the government’s facility contractors.”
The protests have frequently turned confrontational, with demonstrators, some equipped with gas masks and helmets, using traffic cones and trash cans as makeshift shields while attempting to block vehicles from entering or leaving the facility.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche shared images online depicting bloody wounds and bruises sustained by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Social media videos show officers in riot gear deploying tear gas and using batons against demonstrators, with some footage even showing police on horseback advancing into crowds.
On Friday night, ICE officers arrested four individuals on charges including assaulting law enforcement officers, obstruction, and threats, Mullin said on X.
Separately, Newark police reported that a Seattle man was charged with criminal mischief for smashing car windows.
Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda posted on social media, “No one has the right to come into our city, destroy personal property, or incite violence. Think twice before coming to Newark with any other agenda than to protest peacefully.”
In a separate incident, one law enforcement official was charged with stealing $10,000 worth of camera equipment from Associated Press photojournalist Angelina Katsanis, who was injured when struck in the knee by a wooden beam during a clash.
Katsanis used a geo-tracking device to trace her missing gear to the officer’s home, the state’s attorney general confirmed.
New Jersey leaders have also become involved. Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill, initially hesitant to intervene, declared the situation “grown unsafe” and “unacceptable” as violence escalated, calling in state police to restore order.
State troopers established designated protest zones and vehicle checkpoints, leading ICE officers stationed at the detention center to stand down.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka imposed a 9 p.m. curfew, enforced by city police, but a week later announced a scaling back of police presence, citing a drop in arrests and a reluctance to continue spending tax dollars to guard a privately owned facility.
This week, the state’s attorney general filed a lawsuit against Geo Group, alleging the facility denied state health inspectors “full access” to investigate the allegations.
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