The city of Newark has imposed a nightly curfew around the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility after a night of violent clashes between masked aggressors and law enforcement. The curfew, announced in coordination with Mayor Ras Baraka, will run from nine in the evening until six in the morning and extend half a mile in each direction around the facility until further notice.
According to the New Jersey governor, a large group of individuals launched a coordinated assault on police barriers outside the facility overnight, using bike rack barriers as weapons, throwing projectiles at officers and setting fire to tyres on the street. Officers were not yet wearing protective gear when the attacks began and had to call for additional support to contain the situation.
Law enforcement made three arrests, including one individual found in possession of an unlawful weapon. Intelligence had indicated in advance that certain groups were preparing for violence, with individuals seen collecting wooden poles and other blunt objects intended for use as weapons against officers.
The governor drew a sharp distinction between the violent agitators and the peaceful protesters who have been demonstrating for months outside Delaney Hall on behalf of detainees and their families. He warned that the violence threatens to undermine the cause of those seeking better conditions and due process for the hundreds of people held inside the private, for-profit detention centre.
State authorities emphasised that they are working to prevent an ICE surge into New Jersey communities, a scenario the governor said would make the situation more dangerous for all residents. New Jersey law enforcement agencies have affirmed they do not conduct civil immigration enforcement and are focused exclusively on maintaining public safety while protecting the rights of peaceful protesters and ensuring families can continue visiting detainees.