(The Epoch Times)—Newark, New Jersey, has issued a curfew near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility that experienced fiery protests on May 30.
“Due to the escalating situation at Delaney Hall and the increasing need for police intervention, immediate action is required to protect public safety,” Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka wrote in a statement on May 31.
The curfew will be in effect near Delaney Hall every night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice, city officials said on May 31.
“Individuals found in violation of this curfew will be subject to enforcement actions,” Baraka added. “A warning to leave the area will be issued initially. However, any continued non-compliance will result in removal from the area and the issuance of appropriate summonses and/or further legal action.”
Anti-ICE protests have intensified outside of the facility in recent days, and law enforcement has discovered that some of the protesters brought their own weapons.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said on May 31 that state police, who took control of the area on May 29, have secured a “broader area than just outside Delaney Hall” for safety reasons.
“We will ensure anyone who attempts to obstruct or assault our law enforcement officers is arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wrote in a statement on X.
The curfew, which will affect Doremus Avenue, closes all pedestrian traffic and limits vehicle access to people with “verified official business” in the area.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill urged that people demonstrate peacefully as she condemned the “aggressive” actions by masked individuals against Newark law enforcement officers and New Jersey State Police at the barrier of Delaney Hall on May 30.
Sherrill said the suspects allegedly threw projectiles, used the barriers of the protest area as weapons, and lit tires on fire in the street.
“These actions put both peaceful protestors and law enforcement in danger,” the Democratic governor wrote in an X post on the morning of May 31.
“The police were not in protective gear; they had been on location since early in the morning ensuring protestors and counter protestors had areas to exercise their rights safely.”
Law enforcement on the scene had to call in backup to protect themselves and the peaceful protesters, she said.
“I do not know why these individuals attacked or what they wanted to accomplish, but I refuse to let these dangerous actions detract from New Jersey’s dedication to ensuring public safety, keeping people safe from ICE, and that the people detained inside Delaney Hall are treated with dignity,” Sherrill said.
Sherrill suggested that some of them came from out of state.
“We know that people from outside of the state have been interfering in the protests and escalating them,” Sherrill said at a press conference on May 30. “Five of the six people arrested last night by state police were from outside New Jersey.”
A standoff between Democratic activists and law enforcement started at Delaney Hall over a week ago when detainees, who were illegal immigrants being held inside the facility, wrote an open letter alleging they experienced physical and psychological torture and were denied medical care and food.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied the allegations on May 25 and accused Democratic politicians of spreading misinformation.
The government agency stated that “detainees receive “[three] meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries” and have access to phones, lawyers, and medical care.
Days later, Democrats doubled down on their allegations of issues inside the immigration detention center.
Eight Democratic members of Congress issued a joint statement on May 29 claiming that “law-abiding immigrants, including mothers and fathers of US citizens, pastors, and pregnant women, [were] being denied health care, food and due process.”
The statement was released by U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Analilia Mejia (D-N.J.), Nellie Pou (D-N.J.), Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), and Herb Conaway (D-N.J.).
“This is an absolute abomination,” the Democratic lawmakers said. “We are proud to see so many New Jerseyans show up for their neighbors and friends to express their outrage. We will continue to support them as we raise our voices—together.”
They said that they won’t rest until Delaney Hall is closed for good.
Sherrill separately demanded a series of requests to reform the center, and one of them was granted by DHS on May 31.
“Starting today, limited visitation will resume at noon, and regular visitation hours will be restored beginning tomorrow,” Sherrill wrote in an X post on May 31.
The update came one day after Sherrill called on DHS to also provide appropriate medical care for all detainees, give them a meaningful chance to review their cases, and not to pressure them into signing deportation documents.
“I urge everyone who shares these goals to continue working together to lower the temperature and protest peacefully—so we can continue making progress for families and detainees while avoiding any ICE escalation that would only create more fear and uncertainty in our communities,” Sherrill added in her May 31 X post.
President Donald Trump has suggested that the protests outside the immigration facility were organized.
“These aren’t protesters,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on May 27. “These people are fake. They’re all paid for.”
Evgenia Filimianova and Tom Gantert contributed to this report.
