CURFEW ISSUED FOR ICE PROTESTORS IN NEW JERSEY

Written by Michael Thervil

CURFEW ISSUED FOR ICE PROTESTORS IN NEW JERSEY | PHOTO BY AP PHOTO/ANDRES KUDACKI

[ICE Protest New Jersey curfew] With ICE protestors continuing to demonstrate outside of an ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey for about a week as it was reported that mayor Ras Baraka invoked a curfew that would extend between the hours of 9pm to 6am for half of a mile in each direction around the ICE facility at Delaney Hall. The overnight curfew comes at a time where an estimated 300 ICE detainees decided to go on both a hunger and labor strike as a way to protest what they perceive to be “poor living conditions” and physical abuse from ICE Agents while in custody. The protest intensified and escalated due to counter-protestors in support of ICE and some of their controversial tactics over the past several months.

With both anti and pro-ICE protestors increasing the level of aggression while protesting, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill was forced to make the following statement:

"It has grown unsafe, and that's completely unacceptable," the Democratic governor said at a news conference announcing the new measures. We need to take this opportunity to lower the temperature."

Immediately after making a statement, Gov. Sherrill ordered the New Jersey State Police to take over the situation. In doing so, ICE Agents left the situation in the hands of the New Jersey State Police to assume control. In response to New Jersey State Police assuming command of the situation, a significant number of protestors decided to further express their right to protest and assemble by staging a sit-in while others decided to form a human chain and use items such as garbage cans to block traffic. Many protestors refused to relocate to another area that the New Jersey State Police designated for them to protest and demonstrate.  

Due to protestors not complying with the demands of state law enforcement, New Jersey State Police in response were forced to resort to using force via pepper spray and baton to extract compliance from the protestors. It should be noted that several ICE Agents and State Police Officers were assaulted by several protestors and at least 10 protestors were arrested and taken into police custody. It was cited that the reason why the New Jersey State Police were called in to intervene in the first place was to stop ICE Agents from obtaining a reason to expand their operations in New Jersey.