In Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka has implemented a curfew around Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center, following a series of escalating confrontations between protestors and law enforcement. The curfew is set from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. and will remain in effect until further notice, as announced by Mayor Baraka in a recent statement.
This decision comes on the heels of another tense night marked by dramatic standoffs. Demonstrators clashed with police, attempting to overturn barricades while officers, equipped with riot shields, pushed back. Social media footage captured the intense scenes, showing police on horseback advancing into the throngs of protestors in efforts to disperse the crowd.
The unrest at Delaney Hall has been gaining national attention since earlier this month. The protests erupted after reports from advocates about detainees initiating a hunger strike in response to alleged poor living conditions at the facility, which houses up to 1,000 individuals. This protest is part of a broader wave of dissent against the federal government’s stringent immigration policies.
In a strategic shift, New Jersey state police took over duties from federal immigration enforcement agents at the detention center last Friday, following several days of confrontations. This move highlights the ongoing tension and the state’s response to the volatile situation.
New Jersey state police on Friday relieved federal immigration enforcement agents who had been facing off against protestors at the facility for days.
In a statement Sunday morning, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said masked individuals attacked a barrier in a designated protest area set up by state police and were “throwing projectiles, utilizing the barriers as weapons, and lighting tires on fire in the street.”
“These actions put both peaceful protestors and law enforcement in danger,” Sherrill said, urging calm to focus on advocating for “better conditions for the detainees, for their families, and ultimately, for the closure of Delaney Hall.”
Sherrill also said that the federal government has reopened family visits at Delaney Hall starting Sunday.
Asked about visitations resuming, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security provided a statement that said “To be clear: Visitation was only suspended because of violent riots. Now that we have a secure perimeter, visitation can resume.”