NJ governor defends Delaney Hall police response — but says complaints could be reviewed

🔴Gov. Mikie Sherrill defended State Police tactics used at Delaney Hall.

🔴Callers to her radio program said troopers escalated tensions

🔴61 protesters were arrested Sunday night and came from ten states

Gov. Mikie Sherrill defended State Police tactics outside the Delaney Hall ICE detention center but offered to look into complaints called into her "Ask Governor Sherrill" program.

Troopers were called in Friday as protests grew outside the ICE detention facility into what Sherrill described as a "Minneapolis style" response. Not wanting to give ICE agents a reason to flood the streets with their agents, State Police were brought in.

Protesters were relatively peaceful during the day.  But engagement ramped up at night and became more intense, the governor said.

"When the police were in soft gear and they had to move some of the protesters they were attacked with projectiles, with different things thrown at them. And the protesters picked up the barricades and started beating the police with them," Sherrill said on the WNYC radio program. "So they appropriately called in support of people who were dressed to handle that because we really needed to ensure public safety."

Callers continued to push Sherrill on the matter and said that State Police riled up the crowd by their actions. Sherrill said that if State Police were acting too aggressively that Attorney General Jennifer Davenport will investigate.

ALSO READ: Former NJ State Police chief defends Delaney Hall response

Gottheimer backs state response as arrests mount

She said her goal has been to refocus on the reported poor conditions inside Delaney Hall. Sherrill has also made another request of the Department of Homeland Security to be allowed inside to tour the facility. While members of Congress are granted congressional oversight to inspect the facility there is no such provision for state or local officials.

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. 5th District, defended Sherrill and Davenport “for their decisive action to protect the community from out-of-state, lawless protestors at Delaney Hall Detention Facility."

"Instead of peacefully protesting in the designated areas, these groups have knocked over barriers and utilized combat gear, putting Jersey families, law enforcement, and federal workers in harm’s way – causing significant damage to surrounding neighborhoods," Gottheimer said.

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