Anti-ICE demonstrations at Newark's Delaney Hall enter 9th day as New Jersey state police take over
Anti-ICE agitators and pro-ICE counter-protesters gathered at Newark's Delaney Hall as state police assume public safety responsibilities. Tensions remain high after clashes between agitators and federal agents this week.
Coverage for this event has ended.
Newark mayor imposes curfew around ICE detention facility amid unrest
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka announced that a mandatory curfew would be imposed within a half-mile radius of the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility following days of protests and unrest.
“Due to the escalating situation at Delaney Hall and the increasing need for police intervention, immediate action is required to protect public safety,” Baraka said in a statement.
“Multiple individuals have already been arrested and found in possession of weapons, underscoring the seriousness of the threat,” he continued.
Baraka said the curfew would take effect immediately and apply to an area within a half-mile of the detention center.
The order will remain in effect from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day “until further notice.”
Beginning at midnight Sunday, Doremus Avenue will be closed to pedestrians, while vehicle access will be limited to those with official business in the area, according to the mayor.
Baraka said anyone found violating the curfew could be subject to arrest after receiving a warning.
DHS says Newark ICE facility secured after another night of unrest
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said early Sunday that the perimeter around Newark’s Delaney Hall ICE detention facility had been secured following another night of violent protests.
“Together with our state and local law enforcement partners, we have SECURED the area around Delaney Hall,” DHS wrote on X.
“ANYONE who attempts to obstruct law enforcement or disrupt our facility will face the FULL weight of the law,” the agency added.
DHS concluded: “WE WON’T BACK DOWN.”
NJ governor condemns violence outside Newark ICE detention facility
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill condemned masked agitators after protests outside a Newark ICE detention facility turned violent, with demonstrators allegedly hurling projectiles, setting fires and attacking police barriers.
"Tonight, masked individuals at Delaney Hall attacked the barrier in the protected protest area and began aggressive and dangerous actions against Newark and New Jersey State Police (NJSP), including throwing projectiles, utilizing the barriers as weapons, and lighting tires on fire in the street,” Sherrill said in a statement.
“These actions put both peaceful protestors and law enforcement in danger,” the statement continued. “The police were not in protective gear; they had been on location since early in the morning ensuring protestors and counter protestors had areas to exercise their rights safely. As these dangerous actions took place, additional support was needed to protect civilians and law enforcement.”
Sherrill said her priority remains public safety.
"I do not know why these individuals attacked or what they wanted to accomplish, but I refuse to let these dangerous actions detract from New Jersey’s dedication to ensuring public safety, keeping people safe from ICE, and that the people detained inside Delaney Hall are treated with dignity,” she said.
The governor also called on those involved to “bring the temperature down.”
During a news conference Saturday, Sherrill blamed the Trump administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for contributing to tensions surrounding the facility.
Sherrill argued that ICE’s presence “creates an incredibly dangerous situation” and said she would not “back down in fighting the Trump administration and the threats they’ve made.”
Hasan Piker agrees to debate Fox Digital's Asra Nomani, praises Hannity for pushing back on critics
Far-left Twitch streamer Hasan Piker said at the Delaney Hall ICE facility Saturday that he has agreed to debate Fox News Digital senior investigations editor Asra Nomani after she uncovered that the Treasury Department is investigating the influencer trip he took to Cuba sponsored by CodePink, an organization tied to Shanghai-based tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham — who bankrolls a pro-communist nonprofit network.
Piker claimed that Fox News host Sean Hannity's team recently pushed their highly anticipated debate to a later date, but said he is still "very excited" for the opportunity to face off with the famed broadcaster.
"Sean Hannity said he wanted to debate me. I immediately agreed," Piker told Fox News Digital. "It's really interesting because recently he got back to my team and said, actually, we're going to push that to a later date. ... I'm still very excited at the prospect, very excited about the opportunity. The spirit of debate is very good — testing the mettle of your arguments with your interlocutors is how we do democracy. So very stoked on that."
He also commended Hannity for defending the decision to platform him, noting that the Fox News host pushed back against a radio co-host who suggested he should be "ripping [Piker's] throat out with your hands instead."
"He was like, 'that's ridiculous,'" Piker said. "It is a little bit ridiculous, I'll be honest, but you know I have my hyperbolic moments too ... Lock it in, I'll debate Asra after Sean Hannity agrees to the debate that he wanted to do."
Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Far-left streamer Hasan Piker defends activists tied to China-linked funding questions
When questioned by Fox News Digital reporter Michael Dorgan outside Delaney Hall about foreign influence and funding connected to China and the Neville Roy Singham network, Marxist political influencer Hasan Piker denied having personal contact with the Shanghai-based tech tycoon who bankrolls a pro-communist nonprofit network.
Piker defended the people involved as "wonderful people" and argued that the financial information is "totally legal" and readily available on Wikipedia.
"I don't know why there's this environment of suspicion or this environment that takes this sinister shape for some reason when we're talking about things that are totally above board and totally legal," Piker said. "I don't have any personal contact with Roy Singham or any of these other people. I mean, I know some of these people. They're wonderful people in general. They are activists."
He went on to claim the government "has been actively trying to target activists and protesters," shifting the blame to President Donald Trump.
"I feel like that's not great, especially considering that Donald Trump said he was going to end cancel culture, he was actually going to end woke-ism, and that he was the free speech president," Piker said. "I feel like there are a lot of people who believe in that message, and now he's betrayed that message."
"People are allowed to believe whatever they want to believe," he continued. "That's the American spirit, baby."
Hasan Piker denies receiving subpoena, claims Fox News Digital knew more than he did
During a brief appearance Saturday at the Delaney Hall immigrant detention center protest, Marxist political influencer Hasan Piker told Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan he was unaware he was served an administrative subpoena connected to his March trip to Cuba.
Fox News Digital previously reported federal officials served the self-proclaimed socialist as part of a wider investigation into whether U.S. organizations and leaders violated U.S. laws and sanctions in supporting Cuba's communist regime.
Piker on Saturday denied receiving the subpoenas from the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, adding it appears Fox News Digital more insight into his situation than he does.
"Well, Fox News Digital says I have a subpoena, but I've yet to be served one," Piker said. "So I don't even know what's going on. Kind of feels like you guys have more insight into what the federal government's doing than I do, and I'm supposed to be subpoenaed."
Fox News Digital's Asra Nomani contributed to this report.
Video shows anti-ICE agitators accosting departing counter-protesters outside Newark ICE facility
NEWARK, N.J. — People claiming to be affiliated with the far-right Proud Boys group left the Delaney Hall protest area at about 1:50 p.m. Saturday after spending roughly an hour at the scene supporting ICE and law enforcement.
As the group departed, they were followed by a cluster of anti-ICE agitators who surrounded them and shouted at them as they walked away from the detention facility.
Several repeatedly chanted “Fascists go home” while others yelled for the group to leave the area, creating a tense scene as the ICE supporters continued down the roadway.
Among those confronting the departing group was Russell “Jolly Good Ginger” Ellis, a far-left activist and social media personality who had spent much of the day using a bullhorn among anti-ICE demonstrators.
Ellis briefly exchanged words with ICE supporter Rufus Cutt as the group left the protest area.
The departure came after a heated standoff between anti- and pro-ICE demonstrators, whose arrival earlier in the afternoon had energized the protest and triggered shouting matches between the rival sides.
Despite the confrontation, the counter-protesters continued walking away from the area and no immediate arrests were observed by Fox News Digital.
Police create buffer zone as Delaney Hall demonstration continues
NEWARK, N.J. — The scene outside Delaney Hall appeared noticeably calmer around 5 p.m. Saturday as authorities used new security measures to keep demonstrators separated.
The biggest change from previous days was a newly erected fence outside the facility, creating a physical barrier around the protest area.
Anti-ICE protesters, who have maintained a near-constant presence outside Delaney Hall throughout the week, remained gathered near the facility.
Most ICE supporters left the area by about 2 p.m.
State and local law enforcement officers continue to position themselves between protesters and the detention center, forming a buffer zone that appears to be designed to prevent the tense confrontations and chaotic scenes that unfolded outside the facility in recent days.
The combination of fencing and a heavy police presence appeared to be reduce tensions as the demonstration continues into the evening.
Officials identify agitators arrested after tense showdown at NJ ICE facility, most nonresidents
New Jersey State Police and Newark authorities released the identities of six anti-ICE agitators, the majority of whom traveled from out of state, after an unruly protest escalated outside Delaney Hall Friday night.
Law enforcement, coordinating with the Newark Department of Public Works, proactively set up a designated "peaceful protest area" with barriers on Friday to maintain safety and keep the facility's main gates clear for car traffic, but protesters refused to comply and stay in the legal zone.
The standoff intensified when the New Jersey State Police Public Safety Response Team (PSRT) issued three separate dispersal orders beginning just after 9:30 p.m. local time.
Officials said that when the crowd continued to refuse to disperse and agitators began engaging in "dangerous actions," police moved in and made several arrests to restore order.
Six people were taken into custody and face charges including disorderly conduct, obstruction of justice and endangering another person.
The arrested protesters include: Ian Austin, 36, of Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania; John Rozendaal, 65, of New York, New York; Aida Marquetti, 41, of Astoria, New York; Grace Wollmuth, 28, of Morristown, New Jersey; Rebecca Telford-Marx, 33, of Brooklyn, New York; and Timothy Lutz, 29, of Brooklyn, New York.
A DHS spokesperson told Fox News that five of the six arrests being those of nonresidents shows "there is a coordinated campaign of violence against our ICE law enforcement."
“Our ICE law enforcement officers are facing an 8,000% increase in death threats and a 1,300% increase in assaults against them," the spokesperson said. "This violence against law enforcement must end. We will NOT tolerate rioting or assaults on law enforcement."
DHS said it remains committed to restoring law and order alongside its law enforcement partners in New Jersey.
“Anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," the spokesperson said.
Radical protesters at NJ ICE facility call for 'mass militant' rebellion, worldwide strike
Protesters outside the Delaney Hall ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday demanded a worldwide labor strike to "smash ICE" and "smash capitalism."
The demonstration featured intense anti-establishment rhetoric, with far-left organizers praising incarcerated immigrants who are allegedly staging hunger strikes inside the detention center.
One protester described immigration detention facilities as "concentration camps," claiming they are being prepared by the government to hold working-class demonstrators who "disagree with World War III."
He argued that current detainees are simply the "first ones that are disappearing" and warned the crowd the administration is "coming after us" next.
The protester also accused Democrat New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and liberal politicians of not spending enough time at the immigration facility, claiming they were there to "protect the racists because racism protects their profits."
He went on to tell the crowd that the "only thing that's going to save us is a mass militant, multiracial, anti-racist rebellion against this system."
Protesters responded by chanting, "If we don't get it, shut it down!"
Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Communist, far-left groups take prominent role in anti-ICE protest at Delaney Hall
NEWARK, N.J. — Communist and socialist messaging was on full display at Saturday’s anti-ICE demonstration outside Delaney Hall, where agitators repeatedly chanted, “Stop ICE Gestapo! Communist revolution!” as roughly 200 protesters gathered outside the immigration detention facility.
Several speakers and activists linked immigration enforcement to broader labor, socialist and anti-capitalist causes while calling for the closure of the Delaney Hall immigrant detention center. Drums, megaphones and organized chants were used throughout the protest.
Fox News Digital observed signs and literature from several far-left organizations at the protest, including the Democratic Socialists of America, Freedom Socialist Party, Internationalist Group, Labor Committee to Defend Immigrants and CUNY Internationalist Clubs.
Communist literature was openly distributed throughout the demonstration. Multiple protesters carried copies of "Challenge," a newspaper affiliated with the Progressive Labor Party, bearing headlines including “LONG LIVE COMMUNISM!” and “NO PAPERS, NO BORDERS, NO BOSSES.”
The communist and socialist presence echoed a trend previously documented by Fox News Digital, in which far-left organizations operate alongside broader activist coalitions at demonstrations focused on immigration, anti-Israel causes and opposition to the Trump administration.
Gov Sherrill pleads with protesters to turn down temperature, has message for DHS
Democrat New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill is blaming the Trump administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for violent clashes outside a Newark immigrant detention center, as state police report confronting hostile out-of-state agitators armed with rocks and fireworks.
During a news conference Saturday afternoon, Sherrill claimed ICE engagement "creates an incredibly dangerous situation" adding she refuses to "back down in fighting the Trump administration and the threats they've made."
Sherrill also called on demonstrators to "bring the temperature down" after various groups gathered Saturday outside Delaney Hall.
She said the national extremist groups that have allegedly come from out of state to join the protests “should not be here.”
Sherill called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to restore visitation for families of detainees, and to provide appropriate care and medical for all detainees, and to "stop pressuring them into signing deportation documents."
Despite the governor's criticism of federal agents, state law enforcement described a highly volatile situation orchestrated by anti-ICE demonstrators.
Lt. Col. David Sierotowicz said agitators surrounded a marked police vehicle and threatened personnel, creating an immediate safety risk. After police issued dispersal orders, the crowd was seen retrieving face coverings, gas masks, fireworks, rocks and other projectiles.
The violence forced the deployment of the state's Public Safety Response Team to clear the area using chemical munitions, which Sierotowicz defended as a necessary "irritant" to avoid hand-to-hand combat and keep officers safe.
State officials also admitted that the chaos is being driven by outside instigators rather than local residents, with Attorney General Jennifer Davenport confirming five of the six people arrested by state police this week were not from New Jersey.
Sherrill acknowledged that "national extremist groups" have infiltrated the protests to create chaos, warning out-of-state actors that they are endangering the public and not helping the detainees.
"You're not helping detainee families, and you're certainly not keeping new Jersey safe today," the governor said. "Going forward, I urge those protesting outside of Delaney Hall to bring the temperature down so we can focus on the detainees and their families. Comply with the lawful orders from local and state law enforcement and let advocates, faith leaders and members of this community continue their work here in America."
She added state health inspectors were recently blocked from viewing anything other than the facility's kitchen, and called on the DHS to stop pressuring detainees into signing deportation documents.
Tensions flare outside Delaney Hall as anti-ICE demonstrators outnumber ICE supporters
New Jersey State Police have formed a line outside Delaney Hall as anti- and pro-ICE demonstrators face off across barriers in Newark.
The anti-ICE side, which includes a number of far-left groups, heavily outnumbers the pro-ICE contingent.
ICE supporters claiming to be part of the far-right Proud Boys are also at the scene supporting ICE and law enforcement.
The two sides have been shouting chants and slogans at one another throughout the afternoon as police maintain separation between the rival groups.
Sherrill says 'ICE surge' at Delaney Hall jeopardizes safety, state police there to defend agitators
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill seemingly placed the blame on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for security concerns outside Delaney Hall, claiming that her decision to send state police to the scene was made to protect agitators.
"My top priority is keeping New Jerseyans and our communities safe – and an increased ICE surge in the area outside of Delaney Hall is a threat to public safety. We know that lives would be at risk were that to happen. And I will not accept that risk," the Democratic governor wrote on X Saturday morning.
"That is why last night, the New Jersey State Police Public Safety Response Team acted to secure the area outside of Delaney Hall," she continued. "This was absolutely necessary to protect public safety, and avoid escalation from ICE. As Americans, we have a right to protest – and we will continue to ensure New Jersey residents can peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights."
"Today and going forward, I urge everyone who is protesting to do so peacefully in the safe areas, and work together to bring the temperature down," Sherrill added. "We need to focus on advocating for better conditions for the detainees, for their families, and ultimately, for the closure of Delaney Hall."
Her post comes as the Department of Homeland Security said that federal immigration officers have been bitten, kicked and punched by violent crowds of anti-ICE agitators outside Delaney Hall for the past week. Federal authorities have deployed pepper spray and beaten back crowds wielding umbrellas and masks before Sherrill announced Friday that state police would take over public safety operations at the facility.
DHS previously slammed Sherrill for refusing to allow local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in the Garden State.
ICE supporters arrive at NJ detention center as rival demonstrators clash
NEWARK, N.J. — A pair of rival demonstrations outside Delaney Hall sprang into life shortly before 1 p.m. Saturday when people claiming to be affiliated with the far-right Proud Boys arrived in support of ICE and law enforcement.
Anti-ICE activists and a smaller group of pro-ICE supporters had gathered on opposite sides outside of the immigration detention facility throughout the morning before the counter-protesters arrived.
At about 12:45 p.m. local time, ICE supporters arrived carrying flags, cases of water and food to give to immigration authorities. Several wore the notorious group’s traditional black-and-yellow clothing and insignia.
Anti-ICE demonstrators quickly alerted others to their presence and rushed toward the group, shouting slogans as the counter-protesters made their way through the crowd toward the pro-ICE side of the protest.
The agitators shouted expletives at them while they said they were there to support ICE and law enforcement.
The arrival energized the demonstration, with both sides trading chants across police barriers as the atmosphere became noticeably louder and more confrontational.
Anti-ICE agitators changed their chants from targeting immigration authorities to shouting “Proud Boys go home.”
Rioters defy state police order to protest in ‘First Amendment zone’ at Delaney Hall
Rioters outside the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey, defied state police orders to confine their anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demonstrations to a designated First Amendment zone on Friday.
While New Jersey State Police directed the rioters to relocate, one woman responded "No! We will not! I'm expressing my First Amendment right here!"
A man next to her then chimed in, "We designate our First Amendment zones."
State police took over responsibility for public safety from federal authorities Friday at Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill's direction.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had previously criticized Sherrill for refusing to allow state authorities to assist federal law enforcement as violent clashes persisted for about a week.
Fox News Digital's Preston Mizell contributed to this post.
Delaney Hall menu shows three-square meals despite detainees claiming they aren't being fed
A food menu from Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, shows a wide array of meal options, as detainees' claims of not being properly fed have fueled violent anti-ICE demonstrations outside the facility for the past week.
The menu, which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shared with Fox News, shows differing meal selections for three square meals, seven days a week.
Breakfast on a Monday, for example, included cereal, scrambled eggs and potatoes with onions and peppers. Lunch for the day was chicken legs with cream gravy, peas and carrots and beans with rolls. Lunch also included a fruit cobbler. Dinner items for the day included garlic bread, salad, green beans and pasta with meat sauce.
Meal items listed for other days included taco meat, beef and bean burritos, Spanish rice, chicken fajitas, fried eggs, cinnamon oatmeal, mixed vegetables, Salisbury steak patties, cake, cornbread, coffee, fruit and more.
Anti-ICE demonstrations, which are going on their ninth day Saturday, were seemingly sparked on Friday May 22 when Delaney Hall detainees penned an open letter claiming mistreatment that included a denial of access to medical care and a lack of adequate food options.
"We are being tortured physically and psychologically due to the poor food resources provided in these detention centers," the letter read.
DHS denied those claims in a statement.
"The facts are all detainees are provided with 3 meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries. Illegal aliens also have access to phones to communicate with their family members and lawyers," the agency wrote.
Pro-ICE supporters enter the fray on ninth day of NJ immigration detention center demonstrations
Supporters for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) clashed with anti-ICE agitators outside Newark, New Jersey's Delaney Hall on Saturday as the raucous detention center demonstrations entered their ninth day.
Supporters carrying signs reading "America First Republicans SUPPORT ICE" were met with jeers and profanity from anti-ICE demonstrators who screamed through megaphones and banged loud drums in the pro-ICE individuals' faces.
Local authorities repeatedly stepped in to separate intensifying conflicts which spilled out into the road outside the detention center.
After initially receiving criticism from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin for not allowing state authorities to assist federal authorities in deescalation, New Jersey's Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill authorized State Police to take over public safety measures from federal authorities.
Large plastic orange barricades surrounded the center Saturday, as well as metal barriers meant to separate the opposing sides. Despite the barriers, the rivaling groups still managed to clash physically, prompting repeated attempts from law enforcement to separate them.
Anti-ICE agitator charged with allegedly biting officers during Delaney Hall clashes
An anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agitator was hit with federal charges after gnarly photos showed bloody bite marks he allegedly made into federal agents' arms during violent clashes outside Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey.
Brendan John Geier, a 26-year-old man from Madison, New Jersey, was part of a group of agitators blocking the road near Delaney Hall on Thursday night when ICE deportation officers instructed the group to move away, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
The group allegedly ignored the commands and instead violently engaged with the officers, according to the DOJ. Geier then "engaged in a struggle with deportation officers, kicking officers and ultimately biting an officer’s forearm, and another’s knuckle. Both victims received treatment at a local hospital," prosecutors said. He was charged with assaulting federal officers and causing bodily injury and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais on Friday, the DOJ said.
"We will not tolerate the vicious attacks on ICE officers we’ve seen in New Jersey the last few days. These riots are clearly not 'peaceful protests' as you can see from the photos of these horrific wounds. Assault a federal officer, you’ll be held accountable," Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in a Friday afternoon post on X.
This is an excerpt from a story by Robert McGreevy. Read the full story here.
Live Coverage begins here