Demonstrators gathered outside Newark's Delaney Hall immigration detention center for nearly two weeks, confronting federal agents who deployed pepper balls and spray. Governor Mikie Sherrill, fearing a Minneapolis‑style flashpoint, deployed the state police to replace federal officers, but the presence of troopers on foot and horseback intensified confrontations, leading to fires and barricade breaches.

The facility, operated by GEO Group, reopened as a 1,000‑bed center a year ago and has faced accusations of rotten food and inadequate medical care. Protesters blocked an entrance on Memorial Day, prompting federal pepper‑ball fire. Trump’s border czar warned of additional ICE agents, while Sherrill pledged a “peaceful, protected protest zone,” a promise that unraveled as crowds clashed with mounted troopers, rubber‑bullet claims and smoke grenades.

Mayor Ras Baraka announced a pullback of city police after arrests topped 90 and the state police were blamed for escalating tension. Attorney General Jennifer Davenport opened an investigation into alleged misconduct, including a sergeant charged with theft of a photographer’s equipment. Newark officials now plan to scale back police presence as protest activity wanes.