Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) on Sunday ordered a mandatory curfew around Delaney Hall, a private immigration detention center operated for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as protests over conditions at the facility entered their second week. The mayor's order established a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew within a half-mile radius of the center, with Doremus Avenue closed to pedestrian traffic beginning at midnight.
The announcement came after days of escalating confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement outside the 1,000-bed facility in Essex County. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) had deployed state police earlier Saturday to maintain order as protests intensified, according to her office.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic officials who have visited the site said detainees are protesting inadequate food, lack of due process, and poor treatment. Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) was pepper sprayed while observing demonstrations outside the facility Monday. In a social media post at the time, he described conditions inside the center.
"Detainees protesting the lack of due process, the disgusting food and poor treatment while their families and advocates stood outside calling for help," Kim wrote. "Instead of engaging with me and others about the poor conditions, ICE sent in an armored vehicle and a line of armed agents that only poured gasoline on the fire."
Gov. Sherrill and fellow Democrats have called for the facility's closure. On Saturday, she joined Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in a joint effort to de-escalate tensions, with state police deployed to separate protesters from counter-protesters.
In her Sunday morning statement, Sherrill characterized the violence as coming from masked individuals rather than peaceful demonstrators. "These actions put both peaceful protestors and law enforcement in danger," she said, adding that officers present had been on site since early morning ensuring groups could exercise their rights safely.
What the Right Is Saying
Department of Homeland Security defended the law enforcement response, praising the outcome of Saturday's operations. In a Sunday social media post accompanied by photos of empty streets around the facility, DHS wrote: "Together with our state and local law enforcement partners, we have SECURED the area around Delaney Hall."
The department sent a direct warning to future protesters: "ANYONE who attempts to obstruct law enforcement or disrupt our facility will face the FULL weight of the law. WE WON'T BACK DOWN." The post included images showing officers in tactical gear controlling the perimeter.
Federal officials have maintained that the detention center operates within legal parameters and that protests had become disruptive to operations.
What the Numbers Show
Delaney Hall holds approximately 1,000 detainees, making it one of the largest immigration detention facilities in the Northeast. The curfew zone extends a half-mile radius from the facility on Doremus Avenue.
State police were deployed at Sherrill's direction following her statement Saturday. No official estimates of protest turnout have been released by local or state authorities as of Sunday evening.
The facility has operated under contract with ICE for multiple years, though specific operational costs and contract terms are not publicly disclosed.
The Bottom Line
The curfew gives law enforcement additional legal authority to disperse gatherings near the facility during overnight hours. Mayor Baraka's order remains in effect until further notice, meaning it could extend beyond this weekend depending on conditions.
What happens next will likely depend on whether demonstrations continue and how both sides respond to the new restrictions. Democratic officials have not indicated plans to abandon their push for closure of the facility, while DHS has signaled its intention to maintain control of the perimeter.