The Delaney Hall detention center in Newark has become a hotspot for conflict due to immigration policies. This facility has been under scrutiny since it reopened last year, gathering individuals taken into federal custody from the Northeast and attracting many protesters.
Attention surged in May 2025, when Newark’s mayor, Ras Baraka, was charged with trespassing and Representative LaMonica McIver faced assault charges during a protest. The charges against Baraka were later dismissed, yet McIver’s case continues. Both politicians are affiliated with the Democratic Party.
Last June, unrest at the 1,000-bed center led to four men escaping through a fragile wall. This incident, as stated by immigration lawyers and detainees’ families, stemmed from overcrowded conditions and irregular meals. Later in December, a 41-year-old Haitian man died after entering the center, with federal officials citing a medical emergency.
The latest series of confrontations started over Memorial Day weekend, as demonstrators supported detainees reportedly on a hunger strike protesting conditions. The conflict intensified on the holiday when New Jersey’s Governor, Mikie Sherrill, joined the protest.
On Memorial Day, a significant standoff occurred after Governor Sherrill departed. Protesters blocking an entrance faced immigration agents firing pepper spray and balls. Senator Andy Kim, a Democrat, was present and affected by these measures.
Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement then proceeded to forcibly remove the individuals obstructing the entrance.
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