The U.S. Department of Justice says a Newark Police Department directive ordering officers not to respond to calls at Delaney Hall is jeopardizing public safety and interfering with federal immigration operations.
NEWARK, N.J. — The U.S. Department of Justice has accused the City of Newark of creating a “zone of lawlessness” around the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility after a Newark Police Department memorandum surfaced instructing officers not to handle calls for service at the site.
It turns out the violence outside Delaney Hall was allowed to continue without police intervention according to the letter, and a memo that surfaced this week from within the department.
The June 8 memorandum, issued by 3rd Precinct Commander Capt. Maik Alexandre, states that “no officers are to handle any call for service pertaining to Delaney Hall located at 451 Doremus Ave.” The order further directs officers who are dispatched to the facility to immediately notify a supervisor or desk officer.
Key Points
• Newark police officers were instructed not to handle calls for service at Delaney Hall.
• The U.S. Department of Justice argues the directive creates a public safety risk and interferes with federal immigration enforcement.
• Newark officials previously announced they were scaling back police presence at the facility following a reduction in unrest.
The memo became part of a federal court filing Thursday in the ongoing lawsuit between the United States and the City of Newark over the city’s sanctuary policies.
In a letter submitted to U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin, Justice Department attorneys argued the directive means “the public, the Federal Government, and its contractors can no longer expect Newark police to answer 911 calls” at Delaney Hall.
“The Newark PD Memo creates a zone of lawlessness where the public, the Federal Government, and its contractors can no longer expect Newark police to answer 911 calls,” federal attorneys wrote.
Federal government links memo to sanctuary policies
The Justice Department claims the directive is a direct result of Newark’s sanctuary city policies and Mayor Ras Baraka’s executive order limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
According to the federal filing, the order prevents city resources from being used to facilitate civil immigration enforcement and restricts local officers from participating in immigration-related operations.
“The Newark PD Memo is the most recent consequence of Newark’s sanctuary policies challenged in this litigation,” federal attorneys argued.
The filing contends that Newark police previously responded to incidents at Delaney Hall but are now prohibited from doing so because the facility houses immigration detainees.
Delaney Hall protests cited in court filing
Federal attorneys pointed to a series of recent demonstrations and confrontations outside Delaney Hall.
The filing references criminal cases involving individuals accused of assaulting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers during protests outside the facility. It also cites a separate case involving alleged threats against ICE officers and their families.
According to the Justice Department, federal officers have been forced to divert resources away from immigration enforcement duties to address security concerns that would ordinarily fall within local law enforcement responsibilities.
“Because the United States is compelled by the Newark PD Memo to dedicate its resources to perform Newark law enforcement’s duties, the United States must redeploy its resources” away from immigration enforcement activities, the filing states.
Newark previously announced reduced presence
The dispute follows a June 4 announcement from Mayor Baraka’s administration that the city would begin scaling back its police presence around Delaney Hall.
At the time, city officials said the decision was based on a significant reduction in unrest near the facility.
The Justice Department argues the newly surfaced police memo goes beyond scaling back police resources and instead amounts to a blanket prohibition on responding to calls for service originating from the detention center.
Legal battle continues
The federal lawsuit seeks to invalidate portions of Newark’s sanctuary city policies, arguing they interfere with federal immigration enforcement and unlawfully discriminate against the federal government.
Justice Department attorneys contend Delaney Hall is being treated differently than other detention facilities within Newark because police services remain available to state and local facilities while the immigration detention center is excluded.
“By instructing law enforcement officers not to respond to calls exclusively concerning the Delaney Hall facility,” federal attorneys wrote, Newark is providing “significantly worse treatment” to the federal government and its contractors.
City officials have not yet publicly responded to the Justice Department’s latest filing.
Newark, Delaney Hall, Ras Baraka, U.S. Department of Justice, ICE, immigration detention center, Newark Police Department, sanctuary city, federal lawsuit, New Jersey