UMVA has learned that New Jersey’s newly inaugurated Governor Mikie Sherrill is under fire after she blamed federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for “inciting” a violent showdown outside a regional detention center.
The chaos erupted Saturday night at Delaney Hall in Newark, where a crowd of masked agitators turned a seemingly peaceful protest into a battlefield. They smashed security barriers, hurled projectiles, and set tires ablaze, endangering both officers and demonstrators.
Sherrill told reporters that “people from outside the state have been interfering in the protests and escalating them,” noting that five of the six individuals arrested by state police on Friday hailed from beyond New Jersey’s borders.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the governor also called for the Department of Homeland Security to restore visitation rights for detainees, guarantee medical care, and allow inmates to review their immigration cases.
In a statement to the press, Sherrill emphasized that “a lot of peaceful protesting” had taken place and pointed the finger squarely at ICE agents, claiming they were the primary catalyst for the unrest.
She later expanded on social media, describing the masked attackers’ tactics—using barriers as weapons, throwing dangerous objects, and igniting tires—while insisting she would not condemn the radicals directly.
“My number one priority will always be public safety, and I remain dedicated to protecting constitutional rights,” Sherrill wrote, adding that the state could not allow ICE to “surge into our community.”
She urged citizens to unite in demanding better conditions for detainees, supporting their families, and ultimately closing Delaney Hall, while also protecting peaceful protesters.
Law enforcement agencies continue to secure the area, but the governor’s remarks have sparked a fierce debate over accountability, immigration enforcement, and the line between protest and violence.
