Newark Mayor Imposes Curfew Around Immigration Detention Center Amid Escalating Protests Over Detainee Conditions

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has enacted a curfew around Delaney Hall, an immigration detention facility in New Jersey, following heightened tensions over protests opposing conditions inside the facility. The site, operated by private contractor GEO Group under a 15-year agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has become a focal point in debates surrounding President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.

Baraka’s Sunday declaration cited rising public safety concerns, stating that “immediate action is required to protect public safety” due to the “escalating situation” and increased need for police intervention. Authorities reported multiple arrests, with some individuals found carrying weapons, underscoring the volatility of the circumstances.

The curfew restricts movement within a half-mile radius of the facility from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Eastern Time, with additional road closures on Doremus Avenue to limit access. Since the facility’s reopening as an immigration center in the previous year, it has repeatedly faced clashes between law enforcement and demonstrators, including Baraka, who was previously charged with trespassing during a protest.

Daily demonstrations in May intensified after attorneys for detainees revealed an ongoing hunger strike inside the facility. Protesters, including human rights advocates, have alleged expired food supplies, inadequate medical care, and mistreatment of detainees. Over 71% of individuals in ICE custody as of April had no criminal convictions, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, challenging the administration’s framing of detainees as high-risk criminals.

Activists have formed human chains and barricades to obstruct access to the facility, leading to confrontations with officers using batons and pepper spray. Governor Mikie Sherrill, who was denied entry to the site this week, accused “extremist groups” of aggravating tensions and called for the facility’s closure. Protesters, including U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver, have condemned the administration’s handling of the crisis, accusing officials of attempting to suppress dissent.

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