Activists cannot be subdued even by mounted police.
Protests outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, have not subsided since March 22. Demonstrations have escalated into clashes with law enforcement, who have used tear gas and batons. What is happening in New Jersey and why — in the report by RTVI.US.
The protests began after detainees declared a hunger strike due to poor conditions in the facility. Additionally, according to the Associated Press (AP), they were denied visitation rights. As a result, the facility, which has a capacity of 1,000, has become, as AP writes, "the last bastion of resistance against the federal government's policy of tightening immigration control."
Democratic members of Congress from New York reported that the conditions there are terrible: detainees are given small portions of often spoiled food, and their medical needs are ignored, AP notes.
The center is under the control of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). They stated that information about unfavorable conditions is "myths" propagated by politicians. All detainees, according to the agency, are in the center in accordance with "due process" and are provided with "comprehensive medical care and three meals a day."
"No lawbreaker in the history of human civilization has received such good treatment as illegal immigrants <…> Our menu at Delaney Hall even includes a wide variety of dishes such as fajitas, burritos, jambalaya, fruits, vegetables, salads, brownies, and cakes," emphasized the DHS.
At the same time, the department clarified that the detention center does not provide "luxurious amenities," and the basic needs of those held there are met until the illegals "return home."
Course of Protests
Over the week, the number of demonstrators around Delaney Hall increased daily, and they began to build barricades. Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents around the facility were replaced by state police. They were dispatched by New Jersey Governor Miki Sherrill, a Democrat.
"I will not give ICE a reason to expand operations in our state. For this reason, New Jersey law enforcement is creating a peaceful, protected protest zone in the area outside Delaney Hall," Sherrill stated.
While police erected barriers for protection against protesters, ICE agents, lined up in front of the demonstrators, moved behind the perimeter fence of the building. The response from the demonstrators was mixed. Some staged a sit-in.
Fox News reported that local "agitators" were allegedly found, who organized a "well-thought-out logistical operation and support" for the protesters. Demonstrators attempted to block access to the center by forming a human chain and using trash bins, umbrellas, and other items as improvised shields and barricades. After this, despite calls from law enforcement to disperse and a curfew imposed by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, the protest continued. This led to clashes with the police, CBS News reports. Police in protective gear moved toward the crowd, while mounted officers approached from the other side, surrounded the crowd, and pushed them back.
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