Clashes erupt outside Newark detention center
Protesters and ICE agents confront each other over detainee conditions
Demonstrations outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark escalated as protesters clashed with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and law enforcement over alleged mistreatment of detainees. Witnesses said demonstrators attempted to build barricades from bed frames and other objects at the facility entrance and some wearing gas masks linked arms to resist officers. Authorities moved to clear the area after protesters tried to block vehicle traffic; confrontations turned physical and ICE deployed crowd-control measures including tear gas and pepper spray. Activists accused officers of using excessive force and demanded transparency and oversight of conditions inside the center.
The protests were driven by reports from detainees of overcrowding, poor food quality, inadequate medical care and an active hunger strike involving both men and women. Advocacy groups said detainees had launched hunger and labor strikes to protest conditions and alleged retaliation by staff. Federal officials defended the security response, saying some demonstrators interfered with law-enforcement operations and obstructed detainee transports, and stressed measures were necessary to protect staff and detainees.
Several Democratic members of Congress visited Delaney Hall to inspect conditions and press for accountability. Representatives said they found reports from detainees “horrific,” cited complaints of spoiled food, lack of blankets, insufficient medical care and overcrowding, and said some hunger-striking detainees had been moved since protests began. Lawmakers called for investigations and in some cases urged the facility’s closure, while urging protections for detainees’ rights. The standoff underscores a broader national debate over immigration enforcement and detention practices, with advocates, elected officials and federal authorities contesting accounts of conditions and the appropriate balance between security and detainee welfare.
