New Jersey immigration centre in turmoil as detainees stage revolt

Tensions have flared at a controversial immigration detention center in New Jersey, on Friday, June 13, 2025 as protests and unrest broke out following a reported uprising by detainees.

Clashes occurred between demonstrators and law enforcement, including federal agents, after a group of inmates allegedly tore down a wall within the facility, The Guardian reports.

The incident took place Thursday night at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark.

According to immigration attorney Mustafa Cetin, who represents one of the detainees, around 50 individuals pushed through a dormitory wall in protest over poor living conditions, particularly concerning food quality.

“It was about the food,” Cetin told NJ Advance Media, noting that tensions escalated to violence.

He said the wall that was pushed down was on the exterior and structurally weak.

In the wake of the incident, a wave of demonstrators gathered outside the facility.

Videos posted on social media showed protesters obstructing vehicles operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

It also showed local law enforcement attempting to regain control of the situation.

By Friday morning, reports emerged that four detainees were unaccounted for, raising concerns about a potential escape.

The New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, an advocacy group, stated that witnesses reported the use of gas, pepper spray, and possibly the outbreak of a fire inside the facility during the chaos.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Friday afternoon that four detainees had escaped and that a search effort had been launched.

Additional resources were being deployed to locate them, according to the Associated Press.

Delaney Hall is operated by GEO Group, a private prison company with a $60 million contract under the Trump administration to detain up to 1,000 individuals at a time.

The company has faced scrutiny in the past over the treatment and conditions in its facilities across the country.

Although Delaney Hall recently reopened after undergoing renovations, it has remained controversial.

Local officials have raised concerns about its legal compliance, alleging it lacks proper work permits and a certificate of occupancy, issues that pose serious safety and legal questions.

GEO Group has denied these claims.

The reopening also sparked political turmoil. Democratic lawmaker LaMonica McIver was arrested after taking part in an oversight visit to the facility.

On Wednesday, she was formally indicted and charged with assaulting and interfering with federal immigration officers, accusations she has dismissed as politically motivated.

“This is a blatant act of political intimidation,” she stated.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was also arrested during the same visit, though he faced only a trespassing charge, which has since been dropped.

In response to the latest unrest, Baraka issued a statement expressing deep concern about conditions at Delaney Hall.

He pointed to issues ranging from denial of food and mistreatment of detainees to the escape of inmates.

“This entire situation highlights a severe lack of oversight, from basic regulatory compliance to the protection of constitutional rights,” Baraka said.

He emphasized the need for a more transparent and accountable system.

ICE has not yet released an official statement regarding the situation at the facility.

The events in Newark are part of a broader wave of unrest and protests occurring nationwide in response to the Trump administration’s handling of immigration and migrant detention.

Particularly notable are the demonstrations in Los Angeles, where the president recently deployed military personnel.

This was a rare and controversial decision that has sparked legal challenges from California’s state government.

Critics argue that the federal government’s increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, paired with the involvement of private contractors like GEO Group, are fueling unrest.

The unrest reportedly occur both inside detention centers and in communities across the country.

Advocates continue to call for comprehensive immigration reform, increased oversight of detention facilities, and the end of contracts with private prison companies.

As the search continues for the missing detainees and investigations unfold, questions about accountability, facility conditions, and detainee rights remain front and center in the public and political debate.

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