UMVA has learned that night fell like a battlefield outside Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey, as a wave of keffiyeh‑clad protestors clashed violently with ICE agents.
On the fifth consecutive night of protest over alleged mistreatment of detainees, agitators transformed mattresses, traffic cones and sandbags into makeshift shields, hurling them over a fortified barrier while shouting taunts that echoed through the industrial corridor.
Video captured the chaos: protestors brandishing “kill yourself, bro!” and “how do you live with yourself?” as they tossed heavy objects toward the agents, who responded with batons, pepper spray and even a wooden pallet flung back at an assailant.
ICE officers also unleashed pepper‑filled balls into the crowd, while demonstrators reinforced their line with cement blocks, turning the street into a barricaded arena that halted trucks and sparked angry confrontations with drivers.
One frustrated truck driver stepped out of his vehicle, yelling, “Come on! What’s wrong with y’all?” before being swallowed again by the tumult.
The night’s violence mirrored the previous evening’s showdown, when agents beat back protesters with batons and chemical agents after the crowd tried to block vehicles from exiting the facility.
Authorities reported two arrests after protestors sprayed an unknown substance on law enforcement, prompting a stern statement from the Department of Homeland Security that the assault was “unlawful and dangerous.”
Detainees have been writing desperate letters, claiming they receive no food, inadequate medical care, and are cut off from families, describing the conditions as both physical and psychological torture.
The agency refuted these accusations, insisting that detainees are provided three meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, toiletries, and access to phones for contacting loved ones and lawyers.
Political pressure intensified when prominent New Jersey officials visited the site on Memorial Day, with a senator gaining limited access to conduct oversight and uncovering a carton of milk set to expire the next day.
In response, a senior official dismissed the senator’s claims as “false narrative” and political theater, insisting the facility is not a hotel but a detention center for individuals who have broken the law.
The official also criticized state leadership for failing to cooperate with federal law enforcement, warning that continued obstruction could force a reallocation of customs and border agents away from international airports, potentially slowing global travel.
As the night wore on, the clash at Delaney Hall remained a stark reminder of the deepening rift between protestors demanding humane treatment and authorities determined to enforce immigration policy.
