Newark mayor imposes curfew around immigration detention center

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Newark’s mayor imposed a curfew early Sunday around a New Jersey immigration detention center after a series of violent clashes between protesters and police.

Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement that the curfew around Delaney Hall will be in effect between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. until further notice.

The move came after another night of confrontations between law enforcement and protesters at the facility, where protesters could be seen in photos and videos fighting over barricades while police used riot shields to push them back. A video posted on social media showed police on horseback walking through crowds trying to disperse groups of protesters.

High-profile demonstrations began at Delaney Hall earlier this month after advocates said detainees inside began a hunger strike over poor living conditions at the 1,000-bed facility, the latest bastion of dissent against the federal government’s anti-immigration crackdown.

New Jersey State Police on Friday relieved federal immigration enforcement agents who had been confronting protesters at the facility for several days.

In a statement Sunday morning, New Jersey Gov. Mickey Sherrill said masked individuals attacked a barricade in a designated protest area set up by state police and were “throwing projectiles, using barricades as weapons, and setting tires on fire in the street.”

“These actions put peaceful protesters and law enforcement officials at risk,” Sherrill said, urging calm to focus on advocating for “better conditions for detainees and their families and, ultimately, the closure of Delaney Hall.”

Sherrill also said the federal government has reopened family visits at Delaney Hall starting Sunday.

In response to a question about resuming visits, the US Department of Homeland Security provided a statement saying, “To be clear: the visit was only suspended due to violent riots. Now that we have a secure perimeter, the visit can resume.”