Delany Hall anti-ICE agitators escalate chaos, clashes with agents in New Jersey
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NEWARK, New Jersey — Chaotic scenes intensified outside Delaney Hall, a federal immigration detention center, on Thursday as anti-ICE agitators clashed with federal agents amid rising tensions over immigration enforcement and conditions inside.
By 8pm local time the number of protesters had risen to over 100, as clashes frequently broke out as unmarked federal vehicles approached to enter the centre.
While ICE agents appeared to be teetering on a foothold, some agitators refused to move out of the way; These included a man who was dragged to the ground and detained just feet away from where Fox News Digital was located.
An ICE agent could not confirm or deny whether the civilian suspect’s detention indicated possible criminal charges.
ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASHED WITH ADMINISTRATION AGENTS OUTSIDE THE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER. SHERILL DENIED ENTRY
People gathered outside Delaney Hall in Newark, NJ on Thursday (Charles Creitz/Fox News Digital)
The clashes at the privately run detention center, which activists believe houses about 900 detainees, followed days of escalating protests, political backlash and clashes between demonstrators and federal authorities.
New Jersey Democrats, including Governor Mikie Sherrill and Senator Andy Kim, criticized conditions at Delaney Hall, while the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused lawmakers and activists of fueling unrest and undermining ICE enforcement operations.
On Thursday evening, protesters blocked roads around the facility as federal agents moved in and out of the area.
At one point, an unmarked federal vehicle drove through the crowd, prompting a female agitator to accuse ICE agents of trying to hit female demonstrators.
It was seen that one person was detained during the chaos. When asked if the detention would result in criminal charges, an ICE agent said he “couldn’t confirm,” though he said so politely, according to reports.
PROTESTERS CLAPPED WITH ICE AS DEMONSTRATIONS CONTINUED AT NJ DETENTION FACILITY
During another fight on Thursday, one of the attackers was thrown to the ground by his shirt and another was pushed into a truck caught in the middle of the melee.
Four-letter words were abundant for a while, and a boy and his father were even shouting obscenities from a car parked outside the facility.
Police presence was again sparse, consistent with Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka’s previous stance against assisting with immigration enforcement.
Instead, an elderly scrambler wrote a sign on the back of a CostCo box, repeatedly warning drivers not to slow down enough when trying to get through the crowd.
Earlier this week, Sherrill and several members of Congress attempted to enter the facility following reports that some detainees had begun a hunger strike.
Sherrill was denied access and has since called for the detention center to be closed.
ANTI-ICEERS THROW WOODEN PALLETS AND BARBS AT FEDERAL AGENTS DURING CHAOTIC CONFLICT AT NJ DETENTION CENTER
On Monday, agitators had blocked entrances by linking arms, sitting in roadways and forming a human chain to prevent ICE from entering or exiting the building.
The clashes also intensified after Kim was allegedly hit with tear gas during an earlier protest.
DHS said about six demonstrators were arrested Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
DHS said these arrests stemmed from allegations that protesters attacked law enforcement.
A crowd gathered outside Delaney Hall during a demonstration in Newark, N.J., on Thursday (Charles Creitz/Fox News Digital)
The unrest also emerged Thursday when Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced new statewide guidance outlining how schools, child care providers, colleges, healthcare facilities and places of worship should respond to interactions with federal immigration officials.
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Speaking at a State House news conference in Boston, he said the guidance is to help organizations in the state protect access to services, understand their legal rights and prepare staff should U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrive on the scene.
“We will not allow violent rioters to slow down ICE. Law and order will be restored. There is no hunger strike at Delaney Hall at this time,” DHS said in a statement. he said.
