New Jersey State Police clashed with violent protesters at Delaney Hall late Friday as officers cleared the area and escorted Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees out of the detention center.
The development came after Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) ordered state police to establish a peaceful “protest zone” outside the Newark facility, which has been plagued by anti-ICE protests for the past week.
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In an update on the situation, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport stressed that most protesters complied with state police’s request to let vehicles carrying federal officials pass through the crowd. However, there were a select few people who did not obey.
“A limited number did not comply with repeated requests to clear a safe passage for the vehicles and took dangerous actions, including deploying fireworks and throwing gas canisters at law enforcement, that put everyone in harm’s way,” Davenport said. “To ensure the safety of everyone involved, including the overwhelmingly peaceful protesters at the facility, State Police temporarily cleared the area outside Delaney Hall.”
State police officer stand behind shields as they clear the area of protesters outside the Delaney Hall detention center during a protest against the transfer of detainees and federal immigration policies,, Friday, May 29, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) 
State police officers stand behind shields as tear gas fills the area outside the Delaney Hall detention center during a protest against the transfer of detainees and federal immigration policies, Friday, May 29, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) 
Protesters block ICE cars outside the Delaney Hall detention center during a protest against the transfer of detainees and federal immigration policies,, Friday, May 29, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) 
A mounted state trooper faces a protester outside the Delaney Hall detention center during a protest against the transfer of detainees and federal immigration policies, Friday, May 29, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) 
State police officers stand behind shields as they clear the area of protesters outside the Delaney Hall detention center during a protest against the transfer of detainees and federal immigration policies, Friday, May 29, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) 
Mounted New Jersey State Police troopers move towards protesters outside the Delaney Hall detention center during a protest against the transfer of detainees and federal immigration policies, Friday, May 29, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
New Jersey Democrats have been forgiving toward the anti-ICE protests as long as they are peaceful, but many clashes between demonstrators and officers have broken out in recent days. State officials say much of the lawless activity has occurred at night.
Clearing out the area “was absolutely necessary to protect public safety, and avoid escalation from ICE,” Sherrill posted on X. “We need to focus on advocating for better conditions for the detainees, for their families, and ultimately, for the closure of Delaney Hall.”
Several arrests have been made, including for one man who threatened to murder an ICE officer and his family. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche praised the FBI on Friday for apprehending that man.
While announcing the protest zone, Sherrill said she is not willing to “give ICE the pretext to expand operations in our state” and that her “top priority is public safety.”
The New Jersey Assembly GOP has been critical of Sherrill’s hard stance against ICE. In March, she signed a bill into law to ban ICE officers from wearing masks to protect their identities.
Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin thanked the Democratic governor for allowing state police to cooperate with federal authorities after she previously declined to do so.
“This is a win for law and order,” Mullin said. “After days of Governor Sherrill REFUSING to allow State Police to assist ICE law enforcement against violent anti-ICE rioters, she is now allowing the New Jersey State Police to cooperate with us. Thank you, Governor.”
Sherrill strongly supports the move to close Delaney Hall, a private-run detention center owned and operated by the GEO Group.
SHERRILL ORDERS ‘PROTEST ZONE’ OUTSIDE DELANEY HALL TO CALM VIOLENT CLASHES
On Monday, Sherrill and multiple New Jersey Democrats were denied access to the building. The members of Congress who were present attempted to conduct an official oversight visit, but they were rebuffed by federal authorities.
It remains to be seen whether New Jersey law enforcement can keep the situation outside Delaney Hall under control as both anti-ICE and pro-ICE demonstrators prepare to gather at the facility on Saturday.
