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In an official statement, DHS described a coordinated effort involving roughly 125 individuals who surrounded the facility, many carrying anti-ICE signs and flags associated with Antifa-aligned activism. The group allegedly formed human chains at entrances and worked to seal off access points in an effort to prevent federal officers from carrying out a detainee transfer.
The target of the operation was identified as the transfer of Martin Alonso Soto Hernandez, described as an illegal alien charged with assault, who was being moved to another detention facility.
Authorities said the blockade was specifically designed to stop that movement.
The statement added that the confrontation unfolded as federal officers attempted to maintain control of the facility perimeter and ensure the transfer could proceed without interruption.
This was not the first time Delaney Hall has been the center of political confrontation. Earlier incidents in 2025 already placed the facility in the spotlight after Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested on the property following a dispute over federal directives. In that same period, Representative LaMonica McIver was also charged with assaulting federal officers in connection with a separate confrontation at the site. McIver has pleaded not guilty and faces significant legal exposure if convicted.
By Sunday night, the situation had intensified further. ICE agents in riot gear moved to disperse the crowd and physically clear the barricades that had been erected at multiple access points. According to DHS, the operation succeeded in breaking up the blockade and restoring control of the facility perimeter.
DHS confirmed the outcome, stating that ICE successfully dispersed approximately 70 agitators, removed the barricades obstructing operations, and completed the transfer of Soto Hernandez to the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility.
Officials emphasized that the transfer was ultimately carried out as planned, despite the attempt to halt it through forceful obstruction.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill later appeared at the facility on Monday seeking entry, but was turned away at the gate. Her visit was immediately criticized by federal officials, who characterized it as politically motivated.
DHS did not mince words in its response, stating: “Governor Sherrill’s visit to Delaney Hall is nothing more than a political stunt on Memorial Day, when visitation is currently suspended due to riots outside the facility.”
The governor has framed her concerns around transparency and oversight, but federal officials insisted that operational security and ongoing unrest made access inappropriate at the time.
The confrontation has reignited debate over protest tactics targeting federal immigration facilities, particularly the use of physical blockades aimed at disrupting law enforcement activity. Critics argue that such actions cross the line from peaceful demonstration into unlawful interference, while activists claim they are engaging in civil resistance against immigration enforcement policy.
Supporters of ICE’s response, meanwhile, say the situation illustrates a pattern of increasingly aggressive tactics being used to obstruct federal operations.
Similar standoffs have occurred in other parts of the country in recent years, most notably in Portland, Oregon, where prolonged demonstrations once shut down a federal immigration facility for weeks in 2018 amid widespread unrest and limited local intervention. That episode has often been cited in political debates over how federal authorities should respond to organized facility blockades.
In the Newark incident, however, federal officials made clear they would not allow operations to be halted.
Delaney Hall ultimately remained operational, the detainee transfer was completed, and the barricades were removed before the situation could escalate further.
As of now, questions remain about whether participants in the blockade will face federal charges, as authorities review footage and gather evidence from the scene. Officials have not confirmed any specific prosecutions, but indicated that investigations into the identities and actions of those involved are ongoing.
