DHS says it needs to relocate resources and personnel from Newark Liberty International Airport to protect employees at Delaney Hall, an ICE facility.
Protests intensify outside Delaney Hall detention center
Anti-ICE protesters and federal agents clash outside Delaney Hall in New Jersey, sparking calls for the release of vulnerable detainees.
Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullin threatened to reduce the processing of international arrivals at New York City-area airports, days after a tense standoff between New Jersey Democratic lawmakers and federal agents outside the Newark Detention Center.
On May 28, Mullin said the Department of Homeland Security would have to shift resources and personnel from Newark Liberty International Airport to protect employees at Delaney Hall as demonstrations intensified outside the privately run Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
“If they’re not processing international flights, when the airlines land, they’re not going to be allowed into the United States,” Mullin, a former Republican senator from Oklahoma, told FOX & Friends.
He later said, “I have no intention of putting my employees or ICE officers at risk.”
Mullin’s latest comments come three days after Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) said he was pepper-sprayed by federal agents outside Delaney Hall, which is operated by GEO Group under a federal contract, in an escalation of the immigration-enforcement feud between the Trump administration and Democrats.
The facility has long faced concerns over the treatment of people in its custody, and detainees began a hunger strike on May 22, citing conditions such as food and medical care.
Marin had previously threatened to reduce processing at airports in so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, where local and state governments limit cooperation between law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. Newark’s airport, like New York City’s LaGuardia International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The Port Authority is a joint agency operated by both states with a federal charter.
It’s unclear when and how DHS, which includes Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration, will reduce its role at Newark Airport, one of the nation’s busiest airports and serving the nation’s most populous metropolitan area. DHS referred to Mullin’s previous comments to USA TODAY in which he said the agency was “developing a plan” to reduce international flight processing in sanctuary cities.
The Port Authority did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Marin’s comments came just over two weeks after the first game of the FIFA World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The stadium will host the World Cup final on July 19, as well as several tournament matches. Aside from the World Cup, New York City tourism is active during the summer months. Newark also serves as a connecting airport to other parts of the United States.
Protests have been going on outside the Newark Detention Center for more than a year over numerous allegations of mistreatment of detainees, and New Jersey officials are calling for the facility, known as Delaney Hall, to be shut down.
In 2025, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was briefly arrested, and New Jersey Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver was later criminally charged for her role in the same protests. She maintained her innocence and appealed for the case to be dismissed.
Recent hunger strikes have resulted in tense confrontations between demonstrators and federal employees. In a May 27 social media post, Kim said he had no complaints about being pepper sprayed on May 26, which was captured on video showing the chaotic confrontation. Instead, Kim said he is condemning how his constituents, including Americans and immigrant detainees, have been treated inside and outside Delaney Hall.
Kim visited the facility with New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a fellow Democrat. On May 28, Sherrill said state health officials attempted to inspect Delaney Hall, but were only able to tour a portion of the facility. Sherrill said in a statement that health officials will “demand transparency and continue to pursue all appropriate measures to ensure humane conditions for those held in our facilities” while also publishing their findings on what can be tested. The governor once again called for Delaney Hall to be closed.
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Contact us via email (emcuevas1@usatoday.com) or Signal (emcuevas.01).
