Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has imposed a curfew around the Delaney Hall immigration detention center, a flashpoint in the debate over President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign. The curfew, effective from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. ET, covers a half-mile radius and closes Doremus Avenue to unauthorized pedestrians and vehicles.

The facility, operated by private contractor GEO Group under a 15-year deal with ICE, has seen escalating tensions. Since reopening last year, it has been the site of confrontations between law enforcement and protesters, including Baraka himself, who faced trespassing charges last year (later dropped).

In May, detainees launched a hunger strike, reporting spoiled food, lack of medical care, and abuse. Protests have drawn human chains and barricades, leading to arrests and police use of batons and pepper spray. Critics note that 71% of ICE detainees have no criminal convictions, contradicting Trump's framing of undocumented immigrants as criminals.

Governor Mikie Sherrill, denied access to the facility, called for its closure and blamed "national extremist groups" for escalating tensions. She urged protesters to "bring the temperature down" and warned against giving ICE a pretext for expanded operations. Representative LaMonica McIver, facing assault charges from a previous protest, called the prosecution politically motivated.

Source: www.aljazeera.com