Protesters and New Jersey State Police clashed again Sunday night near Delaney Hall, despite a 9 p.m. curfew imposed by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
The deadline to get off the streets encompasses a half-mile radius around the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility, where people have been protesting for more than a week. The curfew is expected to continue each night until 6 a.m. the next day until further notice.
Protesters, police clash a half-mile from Delaney Hall
As the curfew went into effect Sunday night, a warning was issued to the protesters who had gathered outside the zone. Thirteen minutes later, state police in riot gear rushed toward the crowd.
Officers on horses came in from the other side, surrounding the crowd and herding them away into a standoff.
At least one person was taken into custody, CBS News New York’s Ali Bauman reported.
“I’m standing up there, you know, like putting my hands up, expressing my First Amendment rights,” protester Ian Austen said.
Austen had returned to protest Sunday with injuries from the night before.
“This is a rubber bullet, which they were saying they weren’t shooting, but they obviously were. They shot some sort of canister through my pants that hit me in the privates. There is a huge bruise on my thigh. They shot me in the leg. They shot me again on the chest right here,” Austen said, showing CBS News New York his wounds.
Visitation restored at Delaney Hall, Gov. Sherrill says
Earlier Sunday, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said the Department of Homeland Security had agreed to restore family visitation at Delaney Hall, after it had been suspended amid protests claiming detainees are not getting proper food and medical care, allegations that DHS denies.
Sherrill said limited visitation was to resume at noon Sunday, with regular visitation hours starting Monday.
“Law enforcement will help escort families into the facility. It is critical that outside actors allow this to happen safely,” the governor wrote in a post on X.
Andres Kudacki
Sherrill’s announcement came hours after tension boiled over Saturday for a second straight night, as state police shot multiple rounds of tear gas into the crowd of protesters.
“Violent, chaotic clashes hurt everyone. They put the lives of both protesters and law enforcement in danger. They take the focus away from people inside Delaney Hall and their families. And they raise the temperature with ICE. I will ensure public safety and I refuse to give ICE an excuse to surge into our communities,” Sherrill said Sunday.
In response to the latest unrest, Baraka enacted a curfew going forward in the area of Delaney Hall.
“To the people coming from out of state to create chaos and dangerous situations, you should not be here. You are not helping the people detained at Delaney Hall, you’re not helping detainee families, and you’re certainly not keeping New Jersey safe,” Sherrill said at a news conference following Friday night’s protests.
The governor continued her call for peaceful demonstrations and urged outside agitators to stay home.
“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,” she said.
DHS denies alleged mistreatment of detainees
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and New Jersey Reps. Rob Menendez Jr., LaMonica McIver and Josh Gottheimer conducted an oversight visit Sunday at Delaney Hall.
Jeffries later released a statement saying, in part, “The conditions of confinement we witnessed firsthand and discussed with approximately two dozen detainees at the Delaney Hall detention center shock the conscience,” adding, “Immigration enforcement in this country should be fair, just and humane. The Trump administration is doing the exact opposite.”
Immigration advocates say detainees have been on a hunger strike for more than a week over poor living conditions.
“You have to treat people like humans, even if they’re not originally from here. None of us are,” protester Baqiyat Green said.
DHS has said detainees are getting three meals a day and access to comprehensive medical care, and denies claims of a hunger strike inside Delaney Hall.
“Sanctuary politicians are spreading categorically false smears about ICE’s Delaney Hall facility in New Jersey. These types of smears are inciting violent riots outside the ICE facility in New Jersey,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement to CBS News New York.
