Chaos Erupts Outside Delaney Hall as Anti-ICE Protesters Defy Orders and Clash with Law Enforcement
Protesters outside Delaney Hall detention center unleashed chaos Friday night, clashing violently with law enforcement despite New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill's declaration of a “peaceful” protest zone.
The crowd ignored police orders to disperse, continuing their vile chants while law enforcement deployed tear gas and pepper spray to control the situation, as seen in footage from the scene.
“Kill yourself, quit your job, quit your job,” the protesters shouted, escalating tensions further.
“F—k ICE,” they screamed, branding federal agents as “murderers.”
ICE agents were caught on camera reaching into the throng of demonstrators, seizing individuals by the shoulders or heads, and forcefully slamming them to the ground.
A protester clad in a graphic T-shirt confronted an agent, demanding, “Why the f–-k do you have an AK out… sorry, an AR?”
“What the f–k is this for?” echoed through the crowd.
New Jersey state police on horseback attempted to push the unruly mob away from the Newark facility, while officers in full riot gear formed a solid line to contain the chaos.
Demonstrators breached an orange protective fence surrounding the facility, dragging it aside and continuing their trespass.
Earlier that day, Sherrill announced that “peaceful” protest zones would be established “immediately,” urging everyone to “cool things down now.”
The governor insisted she would not provide ICE with “the pretext to expand operations” in New Jersey.
“Our top priority is public safety – and we need to take this opportunity to lower the temperature now,” she stated.
Sherrill dispatched New Jersey state police to Delaney Hall after facing accusations of obstructing local police from assisting federal agents.
Captain John Chrystal, president of the Newark Police Superior Officers’ Association, claimed his department was effectively restrained by the governor's orders.
“Our administration is getting orders from the mayor and from the governor,” Chrystal remarked earlier Friday.
“From what I’ve been told, police have been told to stand down. It’s a shame we could not help control the crowd, and that this administrative debacle is a political hot potato.”
Sherrill had previously stated she would send state police to help restore order, citing an environment that had “grown unsafe, and that’s completely unacceptable.”
The protests ignited over Memorial Day weekend following reports from detainees about inhumane conditions, including severe overcrowding, subpar food quality, and limited access to hot water.
The Trump administration countered these claims, asserting that living standards at Delaney Hall exceed those of most U.S. prisons.
