Political commentator Bill O'Reilly said Monday that the protests at an immigration detention facility in Newark, N.J., likely will not have "any effect" on the Department of Homeland Security as demonstrations continue near the Delaney Hall detention center.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) ordered a curfew around the private facility Sunday amid rising tensions between protesters and law enforcement. Several arrests were made after the curfew went into place, including detainments of out-of-state agitators, according to Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D).
What the Right Is Saying
O'Reilly told NewsNation's Leland Vittert that the Newark protests are unlikely to alter DHS operations, contrasting them with demonstrations in Minneapolis where he said protesters were "largely local" and interfering with active investigations. Two people died during those earlier protests.
"This was a contrived situation out of Portland, Oregon, perhaps the most radical city in the country now, and they bus these people across the country and they house them and they feed them and their orders are, 'Disrupt,'" O'Reilly said.
Governor Sherrill deployed state police to maintain order around the detention facility. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who took over after former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was ousted following backlash from earlier immigration enforcement incidents, has defended federal operations as necessary for national security.
Conservative commentators have argued that outside agitators disrupt legitimate law enforcement and undermine public safety. Supporters of stronger immigration enforcement point to polling showing significant voter support for stricter border policies and say ICE officers must be able to carry out their duties without interference.
What the Left Is Saying
Immigration advocates argue that protests at detention facilities highlight legitimate concerns about due process and treatment of detainees. On Sunday, Sherrill described incidents involving "masked individuals" who she said attacked barriers in the protected protest area and engaged in aggressive actions against Newark and New Jersey State Police, including throwing projectiles and lighting tires on fire.
The demonstrations come amid heightened scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement following the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis at the hands of federal law enforcement officers in January. Civil liberties groups have pointed to those incidents as evidence of what they characterize as overreach by Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in sanctuary cities.
Protest organizers have framed their actions as protected speech under the First Amendment, arguing that communities have a right to demonstrate against immigration policies they view as unjust. Local officials in New Jersey have called for transparency about conditions inside detention facilities and accountability for any use of force by federal officers.
What the Numbers Show
The protests in Newark mark at least the second major confrontation at an immigration detention facility this year, following violent scenes in Minneapolis that resulted in two fatalities. The Trump administration has prioritized mass deportation as a central policy platform since taking office.
DHS under Mullin has continued enforcement operations despite legal challenges and public demonstrations. The department has not released specific figures on arrests made during the Newark protests as of publication time.
The Delaney Hall facility is operated by a private contractor and holds individuals awaiting immigration proceedings or deportation. New Jersey is among states that have limited cooperation with federal immigration authorities, though facilities like Delaney Hall operate under federal contracts regardless of state policy.
The Bottom Line
The Newark protests underscore ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement and local communities opposed to detention operations. While O'Reilly predicted the demonstrations would not alter DHS strategy, the involvement of out-of-state organizers suggests the activism is part of a broader national movement.
Governor Sherrill and Secretary Mullin found common ground in calling for an end to violence at the protests. What happens next will likely depend on whether local officials can maintain order without further escalation, and whether the Trump administration adjusts its enforcement tactics in response to sustained opposition.