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.
Governor Mikie Sherrill announced on social media that full visitation rights are expected to be restored at New Jersey’s troubled immigration detention centers.
Delaney Hall, a private immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, will welcome visitors again after more than a week of clashes between law enforcement officers and protesters and some of the center’s inmates went on a hunger strike.
“Update: DHS has complied with our request to resume family visitation,” Cheryl posted on X on May 31. “Limited visitation will resume at noon today and regular visitation hours will be restored tomorrow.”
“Families should contact the facility directly for more information,” the governor said, adding, “Law enforcement will assist in escorting the family into the facility. It is important that outside parties are able to do this safely.”
Newark mayor issues curfew
News of the visit comes shortly after Newark Mayor Ras Baraka imposed a curfew that applies to a half-mile area around Delaney Hall and will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. ET until further notice.
“Immediate action is required to protect public safety as the situation at Delaney Hall escalates and the need for police intervention increases,” Baraka said in a news release. “Several people have already been arrested and found in possession of weapons, highlighting the seriousness of the threat.”
The curfew came two days after state police erected a fence around a “protest zone” that some people deemed a violation of free speech, NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY network, reported.
DHS says it ‘didn’t bow’ to pressure
In an email to USA TODAY, the Department of Homeland Security objected to any characterization that suggested the agency had “caved” to Sherrill’s demands.
DHS announced that visitation was suspended while the protests continued, citing safety concerns for law enforcement officers, detainees’ families, and attorneys.
DHS says visits can resume now that the area around the facility is secure.
Tensions rise outside Delaney Hall.
Tensions have been high at Delaney Hall for more than a week, with supporters protesting outside and some detainees inside refusing food in protest, prompting authorities to call the New Jersey State Police.
Clashes have broken out between federal immigration officials and protesters outside the facility’s gates. Protests have been occurring since Delaney Hall reopened a few months into the second Trump administration, but they intensified after detainees began a hunger strike over Memorial Day weekend.
The Department of Homeland Security has denied that a hunger strike is taking place at Delaney Hall, which is run by the private prison company GEO Group.
Federal prosecutors have charged one demonstrator with kicking and biting a federal officer during the clashes, and other arrests have been reported. Meanwhile, a statement from the ACLU of New Jersey said most protests have been peaceful and that law enforcement is responsible for escalating tensions.
Recently, Sherrill dispatched New Jersey State Police to the area outside Delaney Hall. She said they must protect public safety and avoid escalation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is proliferating in the region.
Federal immigration officers charged into the crowd, brandished batons and fired pepper spray into the crowd, NorthJersey.com reported. DHS has accused protesters of throwing objects at officers, leading to an escalating standoff.
Sen. Andy Kim says he was pepper sprayed outside Delaney Hall
Delaney Hall received significant media attention after Democratic Sen. Andy Kim, who represents New Jersey, said he was pepper-sprayed outside the facility on May 25. At the time, he was visiting to support detainees who were staging a hunger strike protest.
Cheryl also tried to visit the facility on the same day, but was refused entry.
In a statement announcing the resumption of visitation, Sherrill urged DHS to implement several additional policy changes.
“I continue to call on DHS to provide appropriate care and medical supplies to all detainees, give detainees a meaningful opportunity to review their cases, end pressure on detainees to sign deportation papers, be transparent about who is being held in this facility, and ultimately close this facility.”
Contributor: N’dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY. Michael Karas, NorthJersey.com. Lukas Frau, Nicholas Katzban, Katie Sobko, Manahil Ahmad, NorthJersey.com
Drew Pittock covers trending news from around the country for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.
