New Jersey's governor has ordered state police to take responsibility for security outside a migrant detention facility in Newark that has been the site of repeated confrontations between demonstrators and federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
Governor Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, said Friday that she authorized the move to defuse mounting tensions and incidents of violence outside Delaney Hall, a 1,000-bed detention center run by the private contractor Geo Group for ICE. Sherrill has repeatedly urged that Delaney Hall be closed and framed the state police deployment as a measure to protect both public safety and the right to peaceful assembly.
"I will not give ICE the pretext to expand operations in our state," Sherrill said at a press conference that included state Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and acting state police Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle.
State police officials said their personnel established "protected protest zones" beyond the facility gates to offer demonstrators safer areas to gather, and set up vehicle checkpoints to regulate traffic flow in the area. Lieutenant Colonel David Sierotowicz of the state police told reporters that ICE agents and their partners had agreed to withdraw from the immediate vicinity.
Officials added that anti- and pro-ICE demonstrators would be kept separated by assignment to different assembly zones to reduce the risk of clashes.
Federal response and political reactions
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin posted on social media that the actions by New Jersey officials represented a "win for law and order" and thanked the governor for "allowing New Jersey State Police to cooperate with us." Mullin said Sherrill had previously "refused to allow state police to assist @ICEgov law enforcement against violent anti-ICE rioters."
The high-profile standoff follows days of daily gatherings outside Delaney Hall that began after detainees told relatives and supporters they were initiating a labor and hunger strike. Detainees have detailed a list of grievances, alleging "food containing worms in a state of decay," faulty ventilation, unsanitary bathrooms and an unchecked spread of influenza-like illness inside the facility.
Mullin disputed those claims, saying detainees receive adequate calories and sanitation but "it isn’t a Holiday Inn."
The facility has housed more than 850 immigration detainees, of whom roughly 100 had criminal convictions, according to the Deportation Data Project, which compiles and analyzes U.S. government figures.
President Donald Trump spoke about the situation during a White House Cabinet meeting earlier in the week, calling Delaney Hall "a nice facility" and saying it was "doing a great job." He also characterized those protesting outside the detention center as not genuine, stating, "These aren’t protesters, these people are fake," and alleging, without presenting evidence, that individuals were being paid to rally.
Confrontations, arrests and inspections
Encounters between ICE agents and protesters have occasionally turned physical, with use of batons and pepper spray reported. Mullin said six protesters were arrested on Wednesday. U.S. Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey, who went to support demonstrators, was pepper-sprayed earlier in the week.
Sherrill joined protesters on Memorial Day and sought to enter Delaney Hall, but ICE refused her access. Instead, she listened outside to a detainee relaying an account over a phone call. The Homeland Security chief dismissed her attempted visit as "nothing more than a political stunt."
Sherrill issued a statement emphasizing the humanity of those held inside the facility: "The people inside Delaney Hall are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and members of our community," she said. "In New Jersey, we believe in the rule of law and that everyone deserves to be treated with basic dignity."
On Thursday, officials from the New Jersey Health Department visited Delaney Hall but were permitted only to inspect food service areas and the kitchen. As of Friday, the findings from that inspection had not been released.
Implications for operations around Delaney Hall
State police presence is intended to regulate the area around Delaney Hall by providing designated spaces for protesters and controlling vehicle movement to reduce friction between opposing groups and federal officers. Officials said ICE and its partners have agreed to step back from the immediate perimeter, while law enforcement agencies maintain checkpoints and separate assembly zones for different demonstrator groups.
The standoff reflects a convergence of public-safety, political and public-health concerns centered on a privately operated detention facility. Authorities and advocates are awaiting the health department's inspection report for further clarity on conditions inside Delaney Hall.