Protests outside the Delaney Hall immigrant detention center in Newark have sometimes erupted into violence. Authorities have used tear gas and batons to disperse demonstrators, who resist such attempts.

The detention center has become a contentious location in President Trump’s immigration policies since its reopening last year. It houses individuals taken into federal custody from the Northeast, attracting continuous protest activities.

Public attention first focused on the center in May 2025. Newark’s Mayor Ras Baraka faced trespassing charges and Representative LaMonica McIver was charged with assault during a protest involving immigration agents. The charge against Mr. Baraka was later dismissed, but Ms. McIver’s case continues.

In June of the previous year, four men managed to escape from the center. They exploited a weak section of the center’s wall amidst unrest. Lawyers and detainees’ relatives attributed the unrest to overcrowding and irregular meals. In December, a Haitian man aged 41 died shortly after arrival, reportedly due to a medical emergency.

Recent tensions began over Memorial Day weekend, as protests erupted in support of detainees allegedly on hunger strike. The situation escalated after Governor Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, a Democrat, joined the protest.

Events Since Memorial Day

On Monday, Memorial Day, May 25, Governor Sherrill departed from the protest. Immigration agents and protesters, blocking an entrance, engaged in a tense standoff. Agents fired pepper balls and spray, attempting to disperse the crowd. Senator Andy Kim, a Democrat, was among those affected.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents proceeded to forcibly remove protesters who were blocking access points.