Violence and Protest at Delaney Hall Detention Center

The detention center at Delaney Hall in Newark has become a significant point of contention in the immigration crackdown by President Trump since it reopened last year. It has been filled with people taken into federal custody from around the Northeast. The site has consistently attracted demonstrators.

This center came into the spotlight in May 2025 when Newark’s mayor, Ras Baraka, and Representative LaMonica McIver faced charges during protests. Baraka was charged with trespassing, while McIver was accused of assault following a chaotic confrontation with immigration agents. The charges against Baraka were dropped; however, the case against McIver is still ongoing. Both politicians are Democrats.

In June of last year, four men managed to escape from the facility due to a weak wall during unrest. This was triggered, according to lawyers and relatives of detainees, by overcrowded conditions and irregular meals. In December, a 41-year-old Haitian man died shortly after arriving at the facility due to a medical emergency, as stated by federal officials.

The most recent hostilities started over Memorial Day weekend. Protesters gathered in support of detainees who were reportedly staging a hunger strike regarding conditions at the center. The situation intensified on Memorial Day after New Jersey’s Governor Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, participated in the protests.

Events at Delaney Hall Since Memorial Day

On Memorial Day, May 25, after Governor Sherrill left the protest, a standoff occurred between immigration agents and demonstrators who had blocked an entrance. Agents used pepper balls and spray against protesters who refused to disperse. Senator Andy Kim, a Democrat, was among those affected.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began forcibly removing protesters blocking entrances.