Newark Mayor Arrested At ICE Facility Protest
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested Friday while protesting outside a controversial new ICE detention facility in his city, marking a dramatic escalation in the ongoing battle between local officials and federal immigration authorities.
The arrest occurred during a demonstration at Delaney Hall, a 1,000-bed facility recently reopened by Immigration and Customs Enforcement despite fierce opposition from city and state officials.
Confrontation at Detention Center Gates
Baraka, who is also a candidate for New Jersey governor, was handcuffed and taken into custody after attempting to enter the facility, according to Patch. The mayor was joined by three U.S. Congress members from New Jersey who demanded entry to exercise their “oversight authority.”
Video footage captured the tense moments before the arrest, showing an escalating confrontation between protesters and facility officials. U.S. Attorney Alina Habba accused Baraka of trespassing and “ignoring multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the scene.”
Federal-Local Government Clash
The arrest underscores deepening tensions between federal immigration authorities and local New Jersey officials. The facility, which began housing detainees on May 1, opened despite a 2021 New Jersey law banning prisons from making new contracts with ICE to hold federal detainees.
Newark officials had previously issued a “stop work” order against the facility in March and filed a lawsuit against the GEO Group, the private prison company operating Delaney Hall. Baraka has accused ICE of opening the center “without following proper building safety protocols” and without necessary permits.
Political Fallout and Support
The mayor’s arrest prompted immediate reactions from high-profile officials. Governor Phil Murphy called the arrest “unjust” and demanded Baraka’s immediate release, noting: “Four years ago, I was proud to sign a law banning private immigration detention centers in New Jersey.”
U.S. Senator Cory Booker described the arrest as “disturbing and unnecessary,” while Rep. Mikie Sherrill, also a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, called it an “absolute outrage” and criticized the Trump administration’s decision to reopen the facility.
Business Implications of Detention Policy
The GEO Group, one of the nation’s largest private prison companies, was recently awarded a 15-year contract valued at approximately $1 billion to operate the detention center. According to financial reports, the contract is expected to generate over $60 million in annual revenue during its first full year.
Private prison companies have seen significant financial gains following President Trump’s reelection, with GEO Group’s stock price rising by approximately 41 percent the day after the election results were announced.
Ongoing Community Resistance
Protesters have been gathering outside Delaney Hall for over a week, with immigrant rights advocates arguing that the facility violates both state law and constitutional principles. “Nearly 25 percent of New Jersey’s population are immigrants,” one advocate noted. “ICE has no place here.”
Baraka has since been released from custody, according to reports, but the controversy surrounding the facility—and the broader national debate over immigration enforcement policies—shows no signs of abating.
