New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin found common ground Saturday after the governor deployed state police to maintain order outside Delaney Hall, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Newark that has been the site of escalating protests.
The development follows a week of heightened tension at the 1,000-bed facility, where detainees launched strikes that led to clashes between protesters and federal officers. Sherrill said New Jersey State Police have responded to demonstrations taking place outside the center, which she was denied access to earlier in the week.
What the Right Is Saying
Mullin welcomed the governor's decision to deploy state police, thanking her for cooperating with federal authorities. The DHS secretary has been vocal in distinguishing between peaceful protest and what he characterizes as unlawful behavior.
We support every Americans constitutional right to peacefully protest, Mullin posted on X. No one has the right to RIOT and ASSAULT law enforcement. We hope to build on this partnership and work together to remove the worst of the worst from New Jersey communities.
A DHS spokesperson offered a sharper critique of Sherrill's actions earlier in the week, telling The Hill that her Monday visit to Delaney Hall was nothing more than a political stunt on Memorial Day when visitation is currently suspended due to riots outside the facility. Former U.S. Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino expressed support for immigration agents at the facility, posting: ICE Agents at Delaney, hang in there.
What the Left Is Saying
Sherrill announced the creation of designated protest zones designed to avoid further confrontation with ICE. The governor has repeatedly called for the closure of Delaney Hall and has framed the protests as an exercise of First Amendment rights that must be protected.
My top priority is keeping New Jerseyans and our communities safe, Sherrill wrote on X. An increased ICE surge in the area outside of Delaney Hall is a threat to public safety. As Americans, we have a right to protest — and we will continue to ensure New Jersey residents can peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights.
She urged protesters to use the designated areas going forward. We need to focus on advocating for better conditions for the detainees, for their families, and ultimately, for the closure of Delaney Hall, Sherrill wrote.
What the Numbers Show
Delaney Hall is a 1,000-bed immigration detention center operated by ICE in Newark, New Jersey. The facility has been under scrutiny since detained migrants launched work strikes last week, actions that detainees and advocates say were organized to protest conditions inside the facility. Those strikes led directly to confrontations between outside protesters and federal officers, according to multiple accounts of the events.
Sherrill's deployment of state police represents a direct state-federal cooperation arrangement at an immigration enforcement site — an occurrence that remains relatively uncommon in recent American politics. The designated protest zones she announced are intended to create physical separation between demonstrators and ICE surge operations.
The Bottom Line
The agreement between Sherrill and Mullin marks a de-escalation of immediate tensions at Delaney Hall, though underlying disagreements about the facility's operation remain unresolved. The governor continues to push for closure of the center, while the Trump administration has defended its immigration enforcement mission there.
What happens next will likely depend on whether detainee conditions improve inside the facility and whether protests remain confined to designated zones. Both Sherrill and Mullin have signaled openness to continued cooperation between state and federal authorities — a notable development given the typically contentious politics surrounding ICE facilities in Democratic-leaning states.