Multiple Arrests Made at New Jersey ICE Detention Center as Protests Continue

Protests outside Delaney Hall, a 1,000-bed immigration detention center in Newark operated by private contractor GEO Group, have continued for more than two weeks, resulting in over 80 arrests on charges ranging from rioting and failure to disperse to assaulting federal officers and making threats against law enforcement. The demonstrations were sparked by detainee allegations of overcrowding, moldy and expired food, and denial of medication, with a reported hunger strike beginning May 23; the Trump administration has disputed these claims, with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Border Czar Tom Homan both defending conditions at the facility. Videos from the scene show protesters using traffic cones and trash cans as shields, blocking vehicles from entering or leaving, and clashing with officers in riot gear who deployed tear gas and batons; images also show officers on horseback and in tactical gear advancing on crowds. Arrests have included individuals from multiple states, including Colorado, Connecticut, New York, Illinois, and Washington, with federal charges filed against at least one person for threatening to kill an ICE officer's family. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill called in state police after declaring the situation unsafe, while Newark Mayor Ras Baraka imposed a 9 p.m. curfew before later scaling back city police presence. A law enforcement official was separately charged with stealing $10,000 in camera equipment from an Associated Press photojournalist injured during the clashes. New Jersey's attorney general also filed a lawsuit against GEO Group this week, alleging the company denied state health inspectors full access to investigate conditions at the facility.