Newark ICE Protests Spark Arrests, Pepper Spray Use, and Oversight Calls

Tensions at the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark have produced clashes between federal agents and demonstrators, multiple arrests, and renewed demands for inspections of conditions inside the facility. Detainees launched a hunger and labor strike over the Memorial Day weekend, prompting protests outside the site operated by the GEO Group under contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Lawmakers who visited the 1,000-bed facility reported concerns about food, medical care, and access to counsel, while federal officials described the use of force as minimal and necessary to maintain order.

The strike involved roughly 300 detainees who issued letters citing inedible meals, limited medical services, and delays in court hearings. Detainees receive one dollar per day for facility maintenance work. GEO Group CEO compensation stands at $11.2 million annually according to public filings cited in reporting. Families and advocates described canceled visits and rising internal pressure after the strike began. U.S. Senator Andy Kim stated that his office received reports of pepper spray and physical force, writing that ICE and GEO must allow state health inspections and congressional oversight. Representative Analilia Mejia confirmed four detainees were hospitalized following an incident involving chemical agents.

Outside the facility, agents deployed pepper spray during attempts to clear blocked entrances. The Department of Homeland Security said staff applied the minimum force required and that all affected individuals received on-site medical evaluation with no serious injuries reported. Nine people were arrested on Thursday, including Brendan John Geier, 26, of Madison, New Jersey. Prosecutors charged Geier with assaulting federal officers after he allegedly kicked and bit two agents during a confrontation at approximately 10:30 a.m. Both officers received hospital treatment. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said federal officers were protecting government property and that further arrests remain possible. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that anyone assaulting officers would face full prosecution.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill was denied entry during a visit. Earlier in the week, Senator Kim was himself pepper-sprayed while attempting to de-escalate a confrontation between protesters and agents. One detainee’s wife, Gabriela Soto, described her husband’s February arrest while purchasing diapers and subsequent transfer to another facility despite his marriage to a U.S. citizen and two citizen children. A Haitian detainee, Jean Wilson Brutus, died in custody in December; federal statements described him as a criminal illegal alien, a characterization his family disputes. Nationwide, 18 detainees have died in ICE or contracted custody so far this year, following 32 deaths last year. The detained population has grown from roughly 40,000 to 73,000 over the past year.

President Trump called some protesters “fake” and paid. DHS has denied the existence of an ongoing hunger strike. GEO Group continues litigation with Newark over requirements for certificates of occupancy and fire inspections at the site, which lacks on-site firefighting capacity.