Protesters defied a curfew outside a New Jersey facility in support of inmates reportedly on hunger strike over poor conditions.
About 20 protesters have been arrested outside an immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, after violating a new curfew imposed, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said.
The arrests were made Sunday night at the Delaney Hall station, following days of clashes between protesters and law enforcement.
Officers moved in after the crowd failed to disperse. Police fired tear gas and detained the activists who had gathered outside the station following a 9:00 pm curfew, media reports said.
“If you riot, you will face consequences,” DHS said on X Sunday, adding there will be “Zero tolerance for rioters.” The agency also released images showing protesters being escorted into sheriff’s buses, including one video of officers dragging a man from a barricade line with the caption: “Don’t be this person.”
Delaney Hall has been the center of protests since late May, when inmate attorneys said a hunger strike had begun over conditions inside the facility. Those held there have told human rights organizations that they were given expired food, denied adequate medical care and abused by the authorities. The unrest escalated after Democratic officials, including New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, accused operators of inhumane treatment of immigrants and restrictions on visitors.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka accused ICE of adding to the tension at Delaney Hall, saying the use of “Riot devices, gunshots, tear gas, and similar tactics against lawfully assembled protesters are wrong and unacceptable.” He said the protest was aimed at raising awareness “inhuman conditions” inside the detention center.
The massive immigration enforcement campaign launched by Trump shortly after taking office has resulted in thousands of arrests across the country. The administration has defended the crackdown as an effort to eliminate what it calls “the worst the worst” criminals from the United States. Public support for the campaign has waned in recent months, with many Americans saying DHS’ tactics have been overly aggressive and, in some cases, led to violence and deaths.
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