New Jersey: Violence forces curfew in Newark as Democrats redouble criticism of ICE

The city of Newark imposed a curfew around the Delaney Hall immigration detention center after several days of unrest and clashes, as Democratic leaders from New Jersey stepped up their criticism of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and renewed their calls for the facility's closure.

The emergency order restricted traffic around the center between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., after protests resulted in violence that forced the intervention of law enforcement.

According to the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, authorities issued multiple warnings in English and Spanish for protesters to leave the area before the curfew went into effect. Although a large portion of the attendees complied with the order, a group remained in the restricted area.

"A group of individuals who had come to the protest armed with helmets, shields and gas masks deliberately refused to comply with repeated orders to leave the area and were arrested. Their actions put the public at risk," Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement issued Saturday.

The official thanked those who protested peacefully and reiterated her office's commitment to protecting the right to demonstrate and public safety.

Protests in front of Delaney Hall have been ongoing for several days, but tensions increased in recent hours due to complaints about detention conditions inside the center and the treatment of immigrants arrested at the facility.

Mayor defends protests despite violence

In that context, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka raised the tone of his criticism of ICE and blamed the federal agency for the escalation of the clashes.

"The conditions in this facility, and the lack of due process, brought matters to a head," Baraka said in a statement released after the riots.

The mayor, who was arrested during an earlier protest related to Delaney Hall, maintained that the demonstrations had remained peaceful prior to the recent federal intervention. Moreover, he insisted on defending the protests, which he defined as "necessary."

"I want to condemn ICE’s escalation at Delaney Hall. Prior to their arrival, residents had been able to protest peacefully without violence. The use of riot gear, flash bangs, tear gas, and similar tactics against lawfully assembled protestors is wrong and clearly untenable," he stated.

Baraka also accused ICE of abusing its authority and reiterated that the city continues to take on GEO Group, the private company that operates the facility, in court.

"I will continue pushing the Department of Homeland Security"

Meanwhile, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill assured that she will continue to press the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) despite the escalating violence in the state. She also assured that she will continue to push for the decommissioning of Delaney Hall.

"I will continue pushing the Department of Homeland Security to provide appropriate medicine and care for all detainees in Delaney Hall, give detainees a meaningful chance to review their cases, stop pressuring detainees into signing deportation documents, and be transparent about who is being held in the facility," she said.

As protests continue and concerns over the escalation remain ongoing, Delaney Hall has become one of the main points of confrontation between Democratic leaders in New Jersey and the Trump administration on immigration.