NEWARK, N.J. (AP):- Protesters clashed with armed federal immigration officers in front of a New Jersey detention center where advocates have demonstrated for days while asserting that people detained there are staging a hunger strike over poor living conditions.
The families of detainees and their supporters said Thursday that immigrants being held at Delaney Hall in Newark have been subjected to pepper spray and physical force as the situation inside deteriorates.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said state health officials were also “denied full access” to the facility to conduct an inspection Thursday. The Democrat said they were allowed to inspect only a limited area.
“Unrest within Delaney Hall is directly related to its rampant inhumane conditions and the Trump administration’s refusal to dedicate appropriate resources for basic human needs like food and health care,” Amol Sinha, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, said in statement.
The GEO Group, the private contractor that runs the facility, confirmed that a “physical altercation” involving people detained at the facility prompted staff on Thursday to enact “response and control measures” including the “limited use of chemical agents.”
The company didn’t elaborate on the nature of the altercation or how many people were involved but said all affected people were “promptly evaluated by on-site medical personnel and were cleared with no serious injuries.”
The company also denied allegations of poor conditions inside, dismissing them as “part of a coordinated, politically motivated campaign” by groups opposed to federal immigration enforcement.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees federal immigration enforcement, didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment but has previously denied there is any hunger strike, abuse or poor conditions inside the center.
Thursday’s developments followed violent confrontations Wednesday night between protesters and U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement officers.
Groups of demonstrators, many wearing gas masks and other face coverings, linked arms in a human chain, videos and photos posted on social media show.
Some used trash cans, old mattresses, umbrellas and other materials as makeshift shields and barricades as they confronted U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement officers.
Others attempted to block people and vehicles from entering and exiting the building or threw orange traffic cones and other objects in the direction of ICE officers as they taunted them with expletives and vulgar chants.
The ICE officers, many of whom wore helmets and tactical vests, used pepper spray to try and disperse the protesters, according to videos posted to social media. Some used their batons to beat and push back protesters as the officers attempted to clear the roadway for vehicles.
DHS said about six demonstrators were arrested for assaulting law enforcement officers.
Earlier Wednesday, Democratic members of Congress from New York City toured the facility as part of an oversight visit. Reps. Jerry Nadler, Daniel Goldman and Adriano Espaillat, who all represent Manhattan, described dire conditions where people held in the facility are fed small portions of often spoiled food and their varied medical needs are ignored.