DHS Arrests 20 Protesters at ICE Center, Vows Zero Tolerance
Police arrested about 20 protesters who violated a new curfew near Newark's ICE detention center as Homeland Security declared zero tolerance for rioters following weeks of disruptive demonstrations.
According to New York Post, local and state police established a security perimeter along Doremus Avenue, extending roughly a quarter mile around the Newark facility, blocking protesters from approaching the immigrant detention center and mounting an aggressive response to any disorder.
Law enforcement announced a 9 p.m. curfew to disperse the crowd, which subsequently shrank to approximately 100 people. Officers in riot gear then advanced on the remaining demonstrators while shouting commands to move forward.
Police deployed two rounds of tear gas toward protesters chanting slogans including “Give Peace a Chance” and “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist US,” scattering more demonstrators until roughly 50 protesters and journalists remained encircled.
After press credential holders exited the perimeter, officers moved in and arrested between 20 and 25 remaining protesters. Police have not yet confirmed the precise number of arrests.
Multiple arrests occurred in front of a wall vandalized with threatening graffiti reading “KILL ICE.”
The Department of Homeland Security released footage showing arrested protesters surrounded by riot-equipped officers being loaded onto Essex County Sheriff’s Department buses. Additional video captured a man being dragged by multiple officers from a barricade line, which DHS captioned: Don’t be this guy.
The agency posted on X that rioters will face consequences and that law and order prevails.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka instituted a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew around Delaney Hall until further notice following intense violent confrontations between anti-ICE protesters and federal agents earlier in the week.
Individuals violating the curfew will receive an initial warning but will be removed and may face legal action if they refuse compliance, Baraka stated.
Unrest has surrounded the immigration detention facility since at least May 22, after prominent Democratic officials, including New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, expressed concerns about allegedly inhumane conditions at the facility and limited visitation access.
Inmates inside the facility reportedly initiated a hunger strike over the conditions.
The Trump administration has responded that living standards at Delaney Hall exceed those at most U.S. prisons.
With information from New York Post
