A standoff between immigration advocates and Trump supporters erupted outside a Newark detention facility Saturday as a nine-day hunger strike by detained immigrants pressed forward inside the walls.
The scene at Delaney Hall, a privately-run immigration detention center, turned into a tense confrontation as state police in riot gear maintained a buffer between the two groups. Anti-ICE protesters faced off against a smaller contingent of rightwing counterprotesters wearing Trump hats, with officers on horseback and fencing creating what authorities called a protected speech zone.
The Saturday morning clash came after a violent Friday night in which state police fired teargas canisters and pepper ball pellets at protesters demonstrating in support of the detained immigrants. Officers on horseback advanced on crowds, pushing them back from the facility.
The escalation prompted New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill to announce Friday afternoon that state police would take over security outside the detention center from ICE. The move drew swift praise from Trump officials. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin posted on social media thanking the governor for cooperating to restore order and pledged to build on the partnership to remove what he called the worst offenders from New Jersey communities.
Inside the facility, operated by the Geo Group private prison company, immigrants have refused work and food for nine days. They are demanding better conditions, improved medical care, and faster resolution of their immigration cases. Advocates report that striking detainees have faced retaliation from guards and ICE officials.
On Thursday, guards pepper-sprayed a group of inmates who tried to prevent the removal of a detainee serving as a translator for the strike organizers. A Geo Group representative acknowledged the incident but characterized it as a response to a physical altercation between detainees.
Law enforcement presence at the Saturday demonstrations included state troopers, Newark police, county sheriff officers, and special agents from Homeland Security Investigations positioned behind the facility's perimeter fencing. Members of the far-right Proud Boys were among the counterprotesters, though pro-immigrant protesters significantly outnumbered the Trump supporters gathered outside.
The striking detainees have called for a meeting with Governor Sherrill, who was turned away from the facility earlier in the week.
Author James Rodriguez: "The scene outside Delaney Hall is a collision of real grievances inside a detention facility meeting the broader political moment, and the state's handling of it will define how it plays out."
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