New Jersey Democrats had spent days demanding access to Delaney Hall, a federal immigration detention center in Newark. Now, as clashes between demonstrators and federal immigration officers intensified, even the state’s Democratic governor has deployed State Police.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced that State Police would establish designated protest zones and set up vehicle checkpoints outside the facility after confrontations escalated. In her statement, Sherrill described the situation as having become “unsafe” and “completely unacceptable,” adding officials needed to “lower the temperature.”
The Justice Department charged Brendan John Geier with allegedly kicking and biting ICE officers at Delaney Hall on May 29, 2026. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated the department would not tolerate attacks on ICE officers.
Reports indicated protesters blocked roads, formed human barricades using trash cans and umbrellas as shields, while federal agents deployed pepper spray and batons to clear pathways. State Police have taken control of the perimeter around Delaney Hall to manage traffic and protest activity without altering who controls the detention facility itself.
According to advocacy groups, a hunger strike involving 300 detained community members has been ongoing inside Delaney Hall.
The unrest at Delaney Hall has become a focal point in national debates over immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mullin announced the arrest of nine individuals outside the center after reports of anti-ICE rioters allegedly assaulting federal officers.
Sherrill emphasized that she would not allow ICE to use the situation to expand operations in New Jersey, and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport reiterated that violence either against protesters or by protesters is unacceptable.
