On Tuesday, Newark’s Democratic Mayor, Ras Baraka, lifted a curfew aimed at quelling violent protests near the troubled Delaney Hall immigration detention center. This decision comes after a peaceful protest occurred on Monday night, with no arrests made.
The 9 p.m. curfew, alongside designated free speech zones around the facility, was originally put in place on Sunday to mitigate rising tensions between anti-ICE demonstrators and law enforcement. Mayor Baraka emphasized the importance of free expression, stating in a formal announcement, “After last night’s protest without a single arrest, we are lifting this curfew to allow full expression of the American right to free speech and to peacefully assemble.”
The mayor expressed his confidence in the protestors, hoping they would conduct themselves in a manner respectful of those detained by ICE and the private prison operator, Geo Group. “In this spirit, I have full confidence in the ability of the Delaney Hall protesters to operate in a manner worthy of the innocent people incarcerated and mistreated by ICE and the for-profit imprisoners at Geo Group,” Baraka noted.
Baraka also highlighted his trust in the city’s community-focused police force and broader public safety measures aimed at preventing violence. The decision to lift the curfew occurs in the context of escalating unrest, with protesters from distant locales like Portland, Oregon, reportedly causing chaos, including allegations of biting federal officers and making death threats against an agent and his family.
“I have faith in the policies and training of our community-focused police officers and our extended public safety ecosystem for violence prevention.”
The move comes after protesters from as far away as Portland, Oregon, have wreaked havoc outside the Newark facility — including allegedly biting federal law enforcement officers and threatening to kill an agent and his whole family.
Baraka added that a cordon around the facility would be lifted and protesters could once again assemble directly in front of Delaney Hall, rather than being forced to gather down the street from the facility.
Anti-ICE protesters cheered after the mayor’s announcement and screamed: “The people united will never be defeated. Video captured police lifting barricades as chanting crowds marched back to the detention center.
Newark Police have also taken the lead back from New Jersey State Police on controlling the area after Baraka blasted the past weekend’s police actions as “aggressive, unnecessary, and in some cases unconstitutional.”
After the city’s curfew was implemented on Sunday and Monday, 61 people were arrested on various charges, including failure to disperse, curfew violation, and resisting arrest, according to the Newark Police Department.
Chaos has engulfed the immigration detention facility in Newark since at least May 22, after top Democratic officials, including New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, raised concerns about inhumane conditions in the facility and the lack of visitation hours.
Inmates inside reportedly launched a hunger strike over the conditions, but the Trump administration has repeatedly countered that the standard of living at Delaney Hall is higher than that in most US prisons.
