{"id":675006,"date":"2026-05-31T00:07:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T00:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/675006\/"},"modified":"2026-05-31T00:07:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T00:07:12","slug":"dueling-protests-face-off-at-new-jersey-ice-detention-center-over-detainee-conditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/675006\/","title":{"rendered":"Dueling protests face off at New Jersey ICE detention center over detainee conditions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tensions rose at a Newark, New Jersey, immigration detention center<\/a> on Saturday as a group of pro-ICE protesters faced off with demonstrators who have maintained a presence outside the facility for more than a week in support of detainees who they say are enduring inhumane conditions inside<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Saturday morning\u2019s protests outside the Delaney Hall facility saw a heavy police presence, including a group of officers with riot shields blocking the entrance. At one point, a group of federal agents, some carrying long guns, and an armored vehicle were stationed outside.<\/p>\n

\"ProtestBarriers separate anti-ICE protesters from pro-ICE demonstrators outside the Delaney Hall detention center, in Newark, N.J., on Saturday.Caitlin Ochs \/ Reuters<\/p>\n

A day earlier, New Jersey\u2019s Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced<\/a> that the state would establish a protected peaceful protest zone outside the facility, citing safety concerns following protests in Minneapolis earlier this year where federal agents killed two American citizens.<\/a><\/p>\n

Sherrill said Saturday that she was \u201cgrateful to the vast majority of protesters who have assembled peacefully and raised their voices about Delaney Hall\u2019s conditions.\u201d She reiterated calls to \u201ckeep the temperature down\u201d following the arrest of six people outside the facility late Friday night after protesters failed to follow police orders to disperse. The governor said five of the six arrested were from out of state.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo the people coming from out of state to create chaos and dangerous situations, you should not be here,\u201d she said at a news conference Saturday afternoon. \u201cYou are not helping the people detained at Delaney Hall. You\u2019re not helping detainee families, and you\u2019re certainly not keeping New Jersey safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

The New Jersey State Police said in a statement that one of those faced a charge of disorderly conduct and endangering another person and the other five were charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice. One of the protesters arrested was from Pennsylvania, four were from New York and one was from New Jersey, state police said.<\/p>\n

Sherrill\u2019s announcement followed days of tensions outside the Delaney Hall facility over allegations of abysmal conditions<\/a> and the use of violence against detainees, which the Department of Homeland Security denies. Nine people demonstrating in support of detainees were arrested Thursday following clashes with ICE officers.<\/p>\n

DHS said in a statement Saturday afternoon that the arrests came amid what it described as a \u201ccoordinated campaign of violence against our ICE law enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis violence against law enforcement must end,\u201d the agency said.<\/p>\n

Shouting matches between protesters <\/p>\n

The atmosphere on Saturday was tense but peaceful. Police set up fencing to establish protest areas and separate the groups. Later, police officers blocking the entrance to the facility were seen without riot gear.<\/p>\n

Protesters rallying in support of immigrants inside the facility banged on drums and chanted, \u201cShut down Delaney Hall, free them all!\u201d and \u201cShut this racist system down!\u201d<\/p>\n

Some held signs saying \u201cICE OUT NOW,\u201d and a group of healthcare workers held signs reading \u201cDoctor against deportations\u201d and \u201cHealth care worker against deportations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many of the demonstrators have said they were protesting what they described as unsafe and inhumane conditions inside Delaney Hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m against these people being detained unlawfully, some of them have never had any convictions, and they\u2019re just in there,\u201d protester Dana, who declined to share her last name, told NBC News on Saturday afternoon. \u201cIt\u2019s not okay to treat human beings this way. I don\u2019t care how you feel about immigration, we\u2019re all human beings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacqueline Calderone said she knew people who were recently detained by ICE. <\/p>\n

\u201cThese people don\u2019t come here to commit crimes, they come here for a better life for them, their loved ones,\u201d she said. \u201cThey deserve rights. They deserve a fair process, due process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashley Kussman said she was protesting for the detainees who were being held \u201cin cruel conditions and who are being abused by our government and by a private corporation acting for our government,\u201d referring to DHS and GEO Group, the private company that runs the facility.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very worried for the state of our country,\u201d she told The Associated Press. \u201cI support the Constitution. I support democracy and I support the freedom to speak, the freedom to gather, the freedom to live without having to worry that you\u2019re going to get kidnapped off the street by somebody in a mask and a uniform.\u201d<\/p>\n

Separated by fencing, the group of pro-ICE protesters held American flags and chanted, \u201cUSA, USA.\u201d<\/p>\n

They held signs that read \u201cMake America Great Again\u201d and \u201cSupport ICE.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AnAn anti-ICE protesters holds a sign opposing a line of New Jersey State Police.Julian Leshay Guadalupe \/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re here basically to support ICE and the situations and the dealings that they\u2019re unfortunately coming about. They\u2019re just trying to do their jobs,\u201d protester Michael, who declined to give his last name, told the AP.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese officers are just under crazy scrutiny,\u201d he said. \u201cThey just go out every day to risk their lives on the line and make sure that we make it home safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some protesters shouted across the fencing at each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor days, we\u2019ve heard reports of unsafe, inhumane and unconstitutional conditions there,\u201d Sherrill said at a news conference Friday. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen increasing violence, arrest and pepper spray at Delaney Hall, as well as public threats from the Trump administration, and we\u2019ve seen the risk to public safety rising outside of Delaney Hall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DelaneyNew Jersey State Police arrive with barricades on Saturday.David Dee Delgado \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

DHS said on social media Saturday that ICE agents had \u201cbeen bitten and faced death threats and assaults from violent rioters in New Jersey.\u201d The agency thanked New Jersey law enforcement.<\/p>\n

Regarding allegations of violence against the detainees inside the facility, GEO Group said in a statement Friday that staff responded to a \u201cphysical altercation involving detainees at Delaney Hall\u201d on Thursday and that, in accordance with its policies, staff used \u201ccontrol measures to safely resolve the situation, including the limited use of chemical agents.\u201d<\/p>\n

The company added that its response was \u201ccarried out in strict adherence to federal standards and comprehensive training,\u201d and that affected detainees were evaluated by on-site medical personnel and \u201cwere cleared with no serious injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n

GEO Group also said it categorically rejected what it called \u201cbaseless accusations\u201d against the facility, which it said were \u201cpolitically motivated,\u201d adding that its services are monitored by ICE and DHS.<\/p>\n

It said its support services include \u201caround-the-clock access to medical care,\u201d dietitian-approved meals, religious and specialty diets and access to medical care, the statement said.<\/p>\n

Another night of tension<\/p>\n

The protests remained tense on Friday night as police erected barriers around the facility and ICE agents who had formed a line in front of protesters moved behind the building\u2019s perimeter fence, according to NBC New York. New Jersey State Police Lt. Col. David Sierotowicz said ICE officers agreed to stand down as state police assumed responsibility for security.<\/p>\n

\"DelaneyPro-ICE supporters outside Delaney HallDavid Dee Delgado \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

After some demonstrators refused to move to designated protest areas, state police issued multiple dispersal warnings before moving in at around 10 p.m. Officers pushed protesters back and deployed pepper spray. <\/p>\n

Sierotowicz said some protesters \u201cwere observed retrieving face coverings, gas masks, fireworks, rocks, and other projectiles\u201d and a public safety response team was deployed to move the crowd away from the area and create \u201csafe passage for personnel with no significant injuries to the public or law enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tensions rose at a Newark, New Jersey, immigration detention center on Saturday as a group of pro-ICE protesters…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":675007,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[23,3,21,19,22,20,25,24],"class_list":["post-675006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-states","tag-america","tag-news","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/675006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=675006"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/675006\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/675007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=675006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=675006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=675006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}