A New Jersey immigration detention center on edge. What comes next?

Summary

Consider This from NPR

Episode: A New Jersey immigration detention center on edge. What comes next?

Date: June 1, 2026
Host: Juana Summers
Notable Guests: Mayor Ross Baraka (Newark, NJ), quotes from Gov. Mikey Sherrill & Sen. Cory Booker

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Episode Overview

In this episode, NPR dives into the escalating unrest outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. Protesters have gathered for weeks, drawing attention to alleged poor conditions and lack of due process for detained migrants. The situation outside has become increasingly volatile—with confrontations between protesters and law enforcement, including the use of pepper spray—as well as a hunger and labor strike inside. This episode asks: What is actually happening inside Delaney Hall, how are authorities responding on the outside, and what comes next for both detainees and the City of Newark?

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background on Protests at Delaney Hall

[00:00 – 01:08]

• Protests have been ongoing outside Delaney Hall for over a week, focusing on detainees’ conditions: lack of adequate medical care, food, and due process.
• Protests have escalated in violence, with reports of ICE using pepper spray on crowd.
• Lawmakers and officials, including Governor Mikey Sherrill and Senator Cory Booker, raise concerns:
  • Gov. Mikey Sherrill: “Violent, chaotic clashes hurt everyone. They put the lives of both protesters and law enforcement in danger.” [00:30]
  • Sen. Cory Booker: Expresses worry about “outside agitators” diverting attention from the facility’s problems:
    “Unfortunately, right now there's a lot of folks who are trying to come in and precipitate violence to distract from the moral urgency of the crisis inside.” [00:55]

2. Hunger & Labor Strike Inside the Facility

[01:57 – 02:25]

• Family members report detainees have begun a hunger and labor strike due to poor living conditions and alleged human rights violations.
• The escalation of the situation externally has led to emergency measures by city officials.

3. Mayor Ross Baraka Responds

[02:25 – 08:30]

Motivation for Curfew

• Ross Baraka: Protests have happened since before Delaney Hall opened, mostly peaceful until recently:
  • “Protests have been going on for well over a year before Delaney Hall even opened up…” [02:38]
• The tipping point: Violence, fires set in the street, firearms and pepper guns found, escalating chaos.
• City’s priority: Safety for all—imposed curfew, Newark takes control over security operations.

Who Is Perpetrating the Violence?

• Baraka notes the perpetrators are largely unidentified:
  • “You don't know if they're protesters... could be, you know, people who are pro ICE. It could be white supremacists...because we don't know them.” [03:48]
• Intelligence being gathered, with potential for arrests.

Rebuttal to DHS Account of Events

• DHS claims officers only used force after “rioters obstructed law enforcement” and issued lawful commands.
  • Baraka calls this inaccurate:
    “Their training was designed to do what they did, and they pushed back into the crowd… They did that created a situation that was unsafe and pushed people into the street, which is why Newark began to direct traffic… This is not a residential area.” [04:55]

Detainees “Free to Leave”?

• Secretary of Homeland Security Mark Wayne Mullen suggested detainees could just leave the country if dissatisfied.
  • Baraka: “That's just not true... That is barbaric and inhumane to do what they're doing… People who have been given by the judge the opportunity to actually leave voluntarily… have been denied by GEO [facility operator] because these people are getting money to house people in their detention facility.” [05:48]

Newark’s Approach Moving Forward

• Baraka advocates for de-escalation:
  • “We can't come out there with shields and busloads of police and pepper spray. We have protests in the city almost every week. Our officers are trained in de-escalation… I think the escalation started with ICE.” [06:27]
• Emphasizes community service officers and non-militarized responses to protests.

Concerns Over Further Escalation

• Potential for violence akin to unrest seen in other cities (reference to Minneapolis events):
  • Baraka: “Homeland Security had threatened to bring 30 tactical units…They needed to act before Homeland Security acted…I just don't agree with the way… state police behaved just like ICE.” [07:31]

What Should the National Focus Be?

• Baraka’s main plea: Focus on internal conditions, not just outside unrest:
  • “There are people, pregnant women who have miscarried, food that is terrible, disease that is being led to run rampant. Conditions are horrible.” [08:10]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Gov. Mikey Sherrill: “They take the focus away from people inside Delaney Hall and their families, and they raise the temperature with ICE.” [00:32]
• Sen. Cory Booker: “A lot of folks [are] trying to come in and precipitate violence to distract from the moral urgency of the crisis inside.” [00:55]
• Mayor Ross Baraka: “We are getting intelligence...But as I said earlier, protesters have been out there well over a year. And nobody has been focused on Delaney Hall like this, trying to close it down every single day.” [03:48]
• Mayor Ross Baraka: “I mean, look, the state police is a sword. I mean, if you don't want to get cut, you can't bring a sword. Them guys shouldn't have been there at the way that they were deployed.” [06:27]
• Baraka on national attention: “We need to be focused on what's going on inside of Delaney Hall. A lot of attention is being pushed on what's happening outside... Conditions are horrible.” [08:10]

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• [00:00] Protests and clashes outside Delaney Hall
• [00:30] Gov. Sherrill on consequences of violent protests
• [00:44] Sen. Booker on “outside agitators”
• [01:57] Reports of hunger and labor strike inside facility
• [02:27] Mayor Baraka on escalation, imposition of curfew
• [03:48] Baraka on uncertainty about who’s instigating violence
• [04:55] Baraka rebuts DHS version of pepper spray incident
• [05:48] Baraka dismisses claim detainees can “just leave”
• [06:27] Newark’s de-escalation strategy
• [07:31] Fear of further violent escalation
• [08:10] Baraka’s call to shift focus inside the facility

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Episode Takeaways

• The situation at Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark is tense both inside and outside, with growing protests and reports of dire conditions.
• City leadership seeks to de-escalate external tensions while urging public focus on internal human rights issues.
• Federal officials and local leaders differ in their interpretation of events and solutions; there’s a call for transparency and genuine reform.
• The episode leaves open questions about next steps for detainees, protesters, and policy at large.

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For further details, listen to the full episode of “Consider This from NPR” (June 1, 2026).

Transcript

[Juana Summers]

It's Consider this, where every day we go deep on one big news story today, the chaos outside an immigration detention facility in New Jersey. Protesters have been demonstrating outside Delaney hall in Newark for more than a week. New Jersey lawmakers say immigrants held there aren't receiving adequate medical care or food and that they lack due process. But the protests over those conditions have at times turned violent. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has used pepper

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

spray on the crowd.

[Governor Mikey Sherrill]

Violent, chaotic clashes hurt everyone.

[Juana Summers]

That's Governor Mikey Sherrill.

[Governor Mikey Sherrill]

They put the lives of both protesters and law enforcement in danger. They take the focus away from people inside Delaney hall and their families, and they raise the temperature with ice.

[Juana Summers]

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker visited Delaney hall last week. He told NPR's Morning Edition that some of those protesting are outside agitators, driving focus away from what's happening inside.

[Senator Cory Booker]

These protests outside of Delaney hall have been going on for many months, but unfortunately, right now there's a lot of folks who are trying to come in and precipitate violence to distract from the moral urgency of the crisis inside.

[Juana Summers]

Consider this. A New Jersey immigration facility is the latest hotspot for protests against Trump's immigration policy. What's happening inside, and could the situation outside worsen? From npr, I Juana Summers,

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[Juana Summers]

It's Consider this from npr. The Delaney hall detention facility has been the site of intense protests since last month, and they've become increasingly violent in recent days. Family members of detainees say a hunger and a labor strike has begun inside the prison over poor living conditions and alleged human rights violations. To control the tension outside, Newark's mayor issued an indefinite curfew around the facility. Mayor Ross Baraka joins me now. Welcome.

[Ross Baraka]

Thank you for having me, Mr. Mayor.

[Juana Summers]

Protests have been taking place around this detention facility for several days now. So I want to ask you, was there a specific tipping point that led you to your decision to issue a curfew?

[Ross Baraka]

Yeah, Actually, the protests have been going on for well over a year before the Delaney hall even opened up. You know, so there have been people out there every day without incident, every single day. And I've been there a couple of those Days. One of those days, I was arrested.

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

Right. What changed, though? What's changed?

[Ross Baraka]

Well, the escalation. ISIS come and escalated as they are normally do now. The area had become unsafe, obviously. There was a fire burning in the middle of the street, people throwing tires in the middle of a fire. A couple of individuals were court caught with guns, pepper guns or whatever kind of other gun they had. It is becoming untenable out there and difficult. Like our job, obviously, is to make sure people are safe and that they could protest safely. So we established a curfew out there. Well, I don't agree with the tactics that are happening out there from ICE or the state police. As of tonight, Newark will be taking over command of this because we cannot continue to watch what's going on. You know, in good conscience.

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

I want to note here that of course, not all protesters who are there

[Juana Summers]

are engaging in violence. But what do we know, if anything,

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

about who is perpetrating the violence that has taken place outside?

[Ross Baraka]

Well, that's a good question, because I don't know. And I think it is not fair for people to say who they are. You don't know if they're protesters. You don't know who they are. They could be, you know, people who are pro ice. It could be white supremacists. It could be anybody for that matter, who knows, because we don't know them. We are getting intelligence, gathering intelligence and may make some arrest. We don't know these people who are in fact doing that. But as I said earlier, protesters have been out there well over a year. A year. And nobody has been focused on Delaney hall like this, trying to close it down every single day.

[Juana Summers]

So I want to ask you about

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

what the Department of Homeland Security has had to say about what's happening there.

[Juana Summers]

They have a website debunking what they say are misconceptions about what's taking place

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

there at Delaney Hall.

[Juana Summers]

And in response to claims that protesters

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

were attacked by pepper spray, they write,

[Juana Summers]

quote, On May 25, 2026, rioters obstructed

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

law enforcement from exiting the ICE facility. They go on to say that officers issued multiple lawful verbal commands for rioters to clear the area. They say that law enforcement followed their training, use the minimum amount of force necessary to protect themselves, the public and federal property. Sir, how do you respond?

[Ross Baraka]

Well, you know, that version of the story is incorrect. They probably use their training. Their training was designed to do what they did, and they pushed back into the crowd. The, the right part is they were trying to leave the facility, doing shift Change. And there's multiple exits that they can leave at. They don't have to leave through that front exit. They did that created a situation that was unsafe and pushed people into the street, which is why Newark began to direct traffic, because they began to push people into a street of moving tractor trailers. This is not a residential area.

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

Right.

[Ross Baraka]

People know this is an industrial, industrial area of trucks and very flammable materials all around there.

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

During a cabinet meeting recently, Secretary of Homeland Security Mark Wayne Mullen said that

[Juana Summers]

if detainees there at Delaney hall, if they don't like the conditions, if they don't like the food, he says they're free to voluntarily leave the country. How do you respond to that?

[Ross Baraka]

Well, that's, that's just not true. But first of all, it is barbaric and inhumane to do what they're doing, but it's not true. There are people who have been given by the judge the opportunity to actually leave voluntarily. And they've been denied by geo clearly, because these people are getting money to house people in their detention facility. This, this, this fight we're having is with go. That's the fight the city has been having with this private company that is being shielded by ice.

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

You mentioned earlier that Newark is going

[Juana Summers]

to be taking over some control. What, what, what are you doing? What can you do to ensure that the violence does not continue to escalate,

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

that it doesn worse?

[Ross Baraka]

Well, one, we have to de escalate. We can't come out there with shields and busloads of police and pepper spray. We have protests in the city almost every week in the city of Newark. We are, our officers are trained in de escalation and dealing with protests, people's ability to protest freely. I think that the escalation started with ice. I think the state police followed that and they shouldn't have. I mean, look, the state police is a sword. I mean, if you don't think, if you don't want to get cut, you can't bring a sword. Them guys shouldn't have been there at the way that they were deployed and other. We got community service officers, we have community folks. We could de escalate without turning it into what it has turned into. And we're going to show more involvement this evening.

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

I have to say, as I've been watching the images and videos come out of your city in recent days as these clashes between protesters and law enforcement have intensified.

[Juana Summers]

It's really hard not to think about

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

what we saw happen earlier this year and other US City in Minneapolis.

[Juana Summers]

Are you concerned about it escalating to that level, potential loss of life.

[Ross Baraka]

Absolutely. And I think honestly, that's why the governor acted, because, you know, Homeland Security had threatened to bring 30, you know, tactical units into the city, and some of them were already here moving into the city. And I guess her thinking was that they needed to act before Homeland Security acted. And I agree with that notion. I just don't agree with the way, you know, the state police behaved just like ice. We shouldn't have, we shouldn't have took on their Persona.

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

Last thing, we've got a few seconds left here as people around the country continue to watch what's taking place there in Newark. What do you want people outside of Newark, outside of New Jersey to know right now?

[Ross Baraka]

Right. That we need to be focused on what's going on inside of Delaney Hall. A lot of attention is being pushed on what's happening outside. There are people, pregnant women who have miscarried, food that is terrible disease that is being led to run rampant. Conditions are horrible.

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

All right. We'll have to leave it there, unfortunately. Ross Baraka is the mayor of Newark, New Jersey. Thank you for your time, sir.

[Ross Baraka]

You got it. Thank you.

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

NPR reached out to Secretary of Homeland

[Juana Summers]

Security Mark Wayne Mullen to discuss the protests at the Delaney hall detention facility.

[NPR Host/Interviewer]

He turned down our request for an interview.

[Juana Summers]

This episode was produced by Michelle Aslam and Alejandra Marquez Hanse with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Courtney Dorning and 10 Beat Armies. Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning. It's Consider this from npr. I'm Juana Summers.

[Jesse Thorne]

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