Anti-ICE protests in New Jersey boomerang on Democrats as escalating violence forces curfew
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who earlier embraced protesters, acknowledged Sunday l some had engaged in “dangerous actions.”
Agentes de ICE en Newark, Nueva Jersey/ Kena Betancur
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who earlier embraced protesters outside a federal immigration detention center in Newark, acknowledged early Sunday that some had engaged in “dangerous actions” against local police as escalating violence forced the city’s mayor to impose an emergency curfew.
Protesters grew increasingly aggressive Saturday night as they threw projectiles, grabbed security barriers and set fires outside ICE’s Delaney Hall facility. Mayor Ros J. Baraka admitted some were arrested in possession of weapons, necessitating the curfew.
The escalating violence created an embarrassment for Democrats like Sherrill who had embraced the protests just 24 hours earlier and asked ICE to stand down and let New Jersey police handle the crowds only to see her own officers assaulted and fires set on the streets.
Shortly after midnight Sunday, Sherrill put out a statement acknowledging the severity of the violence and saying it had “put peaceful protesters and law enforcement in danger.” She blamed agitators outside New Jersey for the escalation.
“I do not know why these individuals attacked or what they wanted to accomplish, but I refuse to let these dangerous actions detract from New Jersey’s dedication to ensuring public safety, keeping people safe from ICE, and that the people detained inside Delaney Hall are treated with dignity,” the governor added.
Baraka issued a curfew covering a half-mile radius around the ICE facility in his city, outlawing civilians in the area from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice.
“Multiple individuals have already been arrested and found in possession of weapons, underscoring the seriousness of the threat,” he said.
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