NEWARK, NJ - Clashes broke out between law enforcement and agitators protesting outside of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in New Jersey in late May, with police reportedly employing tear gas amid literal struggles over established security fencing outside the facility.
The Delaney Hall detention center in Newark was the scene of an anti-ICE protest that reportedly devolved into chaos on the evening of May 30, with crowd control efforts being met with pushback from agitators protesting outside of the facility.
Throughout 2026, detention centers across the country have become the target of anti-ICE demonstrations which bear a striking resemblance to the protest-turned-riot antics that permeated the summer of 2020, with protesters routinely facing off against law enforcement while engaging in various acts of vandalism and, at times, violence.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka issued a statement on social media on the evening of the protest outside the detention facility, announcing a curfew that will remain in effect “until further notice” that restricts pedestrian traffic around the facility between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. with limited vehicle traffic being permitted.
“Due to the escalating situation at Delaney Hall and the increasing need for police intervention, immediate action is required to protect public safety. Multiple individuals have already been arrested and found in possession of weapons, underscoring the seriousness of the threat,” Mayor Baraka’s statement reads in part.
One of the protesters present during the ordeal detailed how a physical struggle played out between anti-ICE agitators and law enforcement prior to police employing less-lethal crowd control tactics.
“There was a tug of war over the fence. And then they brought the shields out on both sides of the street,” a woman who travelled from New York to attend the protest stated, adding, “The cops threw the flashbangs. Then I got away. I started seeing all the shields and I ran. There was a couple of loud bangs. I saw smoke grenades going through the air.”
to the unrest occurring outside of Delaney Hall, one employee from the neighboring Essex County Correctional Facility claimed their facility was locked down and employees were temporarily barred from leaving.
The protest reportedly drew the appearance of notorious Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who reportedly left the area while still it was still daylight after being chased out of the area by locals who were protesting.
has since surfaced of Piker being chased out of the vicinity of the detention center, with one person heckling him over the controversy of him reportedly shocking his dog while livestreaming.
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