After clashes outside Delaney Hall, NJ Democrats are escalating calls to shut it down

⚠️ Protesters and ICE clash outside Newark's Delaney Hall detention center.

➡️ Senator Andy Kim and Gov. Sherrill advocate for detained families.

🔴 Calls for closing Delaney Hall grow amid reports of cruel conditions.

NEWARK — A weekend of protests outside Delaney Hall detention center turned chaotic on Monday, as immigration and customs enforcement officials got into physical struggles with some of the dozens of civilians gathered there.

The holiday confrontation outside Delaney Hall — the place where the city's mayor and congresswoman were arrested last year — became the latest New Jersey flashpoint in the national battle over immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. What started as local outrage over conditions inside the Newark detention center has now drawn in more members of Congress, the governor, federal immigration officials and activists on both sides of the debate.

Congressional delegation joins the call for change

U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., led a Democratic delegation of congress members and Gov. Mikie Sherrill earlier on Memorial Day to speak with families who have loved ones at the privately owned detention facility.

Kim then remained at the scene later Monday, as more than a hundred protesters continued to stand the perimeter and call for detainees' release.

ICE officials in flak helmets lined up to face off with the crowd. Pepper spray balls were fired at least at one point — and an armored vehicle with an armed ICE agent protruding from the open top was also part of the response.

The senator was among those dealing with some of the irritant billowing in the air.

“No individuals were directly struck by pepper ball projectiles,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a Tuesday statement to New Jersey 101.5 that repeatedly called the crowd outside of Delaney Hall “rioters.”

Read More: Outrage over Delaney Hall 'inhumane conditions' sparks protests.

Confrontations escalate as protesters demand accountability

While Sherrill was denied entry on Monday, Kim was gained access to the privately owned detention facility as part of his congressional oversight priveleges.

“I saw chaos inside and outside of the ICE detention center Delaney Hall today. Detainees protesting the lack of due process, the disgusting food and poor treatment while their families and advocates stood outside calling for help,” Kim said in a written statement late Monday night.

Detainees’ plight highlighted amid escalating tensions

About 300 detainees held inside Delaney Hall by federal officials have been on a hunger strike since Friday, protesting inhumane conditions and violations of due process.

A major issue for the weekend protesters was the common ICE practice of transferring detainees to other facilities without any notice to their loved ones.

Detainees have been sent out of state for months at a time, adding further delays and challenges to the legal battle to get them freed.

Some of the protesters used more than their bodies to block the entrances to Delaney Hall. There were blockades and pieces of concrete piled in the driveways.

The federal spokesman said law enforcement "followed their training and used the minimum amount of force necessary to protect themselves, the public, and federal property" after the "rioters" blocked the entry.

Divided public opinion on ICE tactics and congressional response

As video from outside Delaney Hall spread online, the confrontation quickly turned into a broader political fight over immigration enforcement, protest tactics, and how aggressively ICE is operating in New Jersey and across the country.

Public reaction to Kim’s involvement has been deeply divided online.

Some conservative commentators mocked protesters and dismissed concerns about detained families, while some progressive activists criticized Kim for not doing more to block federal vehicles from entering the facility.

Homeland Security officials defended both the detention center and the federal response to demonstrators outside the facility.

“The First Amendment protects speech and peaceful assembly – not rioting. DHS is taking appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters,” the Homeland Security spokesperson said. “We remind the public that rioting is dangerous—obstructing law enforcement is a federal crime and assaulting law enforcement is a felony.”

But New Jersey Democrats accused ICE of escalating tensions instead of de-escalating them.

Kim said ICE’s response in Newark was “more of the same lawlessness we’ve seen elsewhere around the country.”

“Instead of engaging with me and others about the poor conditions, ICE sent in an armored vehicle and a line of armed agents that only poured gasoline on the fire,” Kim said.

“Civilians were tackled and restrained, and agents fired pepper balls and spray into the crowd. This is more of the same lawlessness we’ve seen elsewhere around the country.”

Kim later broadened his criticism, saying the controversy surrounding Delaney Hall reflects larger concerns about detention conditions and federal accountability.

“Our country deserves accountability. Our country deserves the humane treatment of every person here. In fact, our Constitution demands this,” Kim said Monday night.

He also called for the closure of the Geo Group-operated facility.

“Delaney Hall is a failure; it’s this administration’s failure. The only way to make this right for our communities is to shut it down and make sure the failures we’ve seen never happen again.”

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J. 6th District, also sharply criticized conditions inside the detention center.

“Trump’s Department of Homeland Security can deny it all they want, but we know what we saw in Delaney Hall yesterday. There’s a hunger strike because conditions are awful,” Pallone said in a Tuesday statement.

“Our neighbors are being treated with cruelty that has no place in the United States of America. Inedible food, poor access to medical care, and the inability to make their case before a judge—all to make a buck for the facility’s corporate owners,” Pallone said, adding: “Close Delaney Hall NOW.”

U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J. 10th District, who was also at Delaney Hall Monday, accused Homeland Security officials of trying to downplay what happened.

“DHS is lying to keep their abuses from being exposed,” McIver posted on X in response to the agency’s statement.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom