Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said the curfew around Delaney Hall would remain in place “until further notice,” according to a statement he issued early Sunday. The order came after another night of confrontations between police and demonstrators gathered outside the detention facility in New Jersey.
The clashes, captured in photographs and video, showed protesters and police struggling over barricades as officers used riot shields to advance on crowds. A video posted on social media showed police on horseback marching into groups of demonstrators in an effort to break them up.
The demonstrations at Delaney Hall have grown in recent weeks after advocates reported that detainees inside the facility launched a hunger strike to protest conditions at the center. The 1,000-bed facility has drawn sustained opposition from protesters, elected officials and advocacy groups who have linked it to the federal government’s broader immigration enforcement operations.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill had earlier directed state police to set up a designated protest zone near the facility, an effort to manage the growing crowds. That move did not resolve the confrontations, which continued through the weekend.
The curfew is the most significant step local officials have taken to date to control the situation around the facility. Delaney Hall has emerged as one of the most visible sites of protest in the country’s ongoing debate over immigration detention and enforcement.