NEWARK, N.J. — Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested Friday outside Delaney Hall Detention Facility during a ‘peaceful protest’ against a federal immigration detention center in New Jersey, drawing condemnation from New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin.
Baraka was among demonstrators gathered to oppose the operation of the ICE detention center in Elizabeth.
Baraka and others stormed through the main gate of the facility, ending with his arrest for trespassing on federal property.
“Arresting public officials for peacefully protesting violates the most basic principles of our democracy,” Platkin said in a formal statement. “The arrest of Mayor Baraka earlier this afternoon outside Delaney Hall in Newark is deeply troubling.”
The protest outside Delaney Hall focused on the continued use of the facility for holding immigration detainees despite New Jersey’s statutory ban on private immigration detention, a law currently being contested in federal court by state officials.
Key points
- Newark Mayor Ras Baraka arrested at protest outside Delaney Hall
- Attorney General Platkin condemned the arrest as a violation of free speech
- State law prohibits private immigration detention centers in New Jersey
AG reiterates support for state immigration detention ban
Attorney General Platkin reaffirmed the state’s legal stance in defense of the immigration detention facility ban, saying his office “remained steadfast” in upholding the law.
The state defended the statute in a federal appeals court hearing last week.
“To our knowledge, no state or local law enforcement were involved in this arrest,” Platkin added in the statement.