Newark’s mayor has lifted a curfew that was put in place to manage violent protests at the city’s troubled immigration detention center, Delaney Hall. The announcement came on Tuesday from Mayor Ras Baraka.
Initially imposed on Sunday, the 9 p.m. curfew aimed to quell rising tensions and clashes between anti-ICE demonstrators and law enforcement officials. In addition to the curfew, specific zones for free speech were set up around the facility.
“Following a peaceful protest last night with no arrests, the curfew is being lifted to fully support the American rights to free speech and peaceful assembly,” Baraka stated.
He further expressed confidence in the protestors’ ability to conduct themselves respectfully, especially considering the plight of individuals detained by ICE and the private prison operator Geo Group.
“I trust in the training and policies of our community-focused police officers and our broader public safety system to prevent violence,” Baraka added.
The move comes after protesters from as far away as Portland, Oregon, have wreaked havoc outside the Newark facility — including allegedly biting federal law enforcement officers and threatening to kill an agent and his whole family.
Baraka added that a cordon around the facility would be lifted and protesters could once again assemble directly in front of Delaney Hall, rather than being forced to gather down the street from the facility.
Anti-ICE protesters cheered after the mayor’s announcement and screamed: “The people united will never be defeated. Video captured police lifting barricades as chanting crowds marched back to the detention center.
Newark Police have also taken the lead back from New Jersey State Police on controlling the area after Baraka blasted the past weekend’s police actions as “aggressive, unnecessary, and in some cases unconstitutional.”
After the city’s curfew was implemented on Sunday and Monday, 61 people were arrested on various charges, including failure to disperse, curfew violation, and resisting arrest, according to the Newark Police Department.
Chaos has engulfed the immigration detention facility in Newark since at least May 22, after top Democratic officials, including New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, raised concerns about inhumane conditions in the facility and the lack of visitation hours.
Inmates inside reportedly launched a hunger strike over the conditions, but the Trump administration has repeatedly countered that the standard of living at Delaney Hall is higher than that in most US prisons.