Federal Agents Withdraw from Newark Detention Center

Federal agents have decided to withdraw from the parking lot of Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey. This decision follows a tumultuous week of clashes between protesters and law enforcement.

Sgt. First Class Charles Marchan of the New Jersey State Police stated that his agency brokered an arrangement for the state police to take control of the area. This shift aims to restore order after federal officers faced off with demonstrators protesting the conditions inside the center.

During the encounters, federal officers charged into the crowd, resulting in aggressive actions such as pushing protesters down and using chemical irritants. One officer reportedly struck a demonstrator with a baton multiple times as he tried to escape. Three protesters were detained and taken behind a razor-wire fence.

Markwayne Mullin, the Secretary of Homeland Security, announced this move as a triumph for his department since New Jersey’s Governor Mikie Sherrill was initially opposed to the involvement of state police with federal agents. Mullin issued a statement saying, “This is a win for law and order,” and extended his gratitude to the governor.

The federal agency argued that its officers employed only necessary force to safeguard themselves from protesters, whom they termed as rioters disrupting law enforcement duties.

On Friday, Gov. Sherrill assured that the state police would designate a specific protest zone where demonstrators can assemble near Delaney Hall.