NEWARK, N.J. — Law enforcement agencies are on high alert following a wave of cryptic, coordinated messages urging protesters to converge on Delaney Hall, the Newark ICE detention facility at the center of ongoing immigration protests in New Jersey. At 11:30 a.m. on June 3, an activation message spread rapidly across social media, summoning protesters and agitators to “swarm” the facility.
One Instagram post, reading “CURFEW IS OVER. BACK TO DELANEY,” was widely shared by a coalition of activist groups, including the Palestine Solidarity Working Group, Al-Awda, Indivisible, and 50501. These organizations, which have been active in recent confrontations with ICE, Newark police, and New Jersey state troopers, are reportedly escalating their efforts against the facility.
UPDATE: The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed national sponsorship behind the Delaney Hall riots.
“The Delaney Hall riot is not random — it is part of a HIGHLY coordinated campaign of violence against our officers,” the DHS said. “Our message is clear: we will find, arrest, and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law ANY of these rioters who threaten or assault our law enforcement.”
This comes after Fox News reported, “Fox News Digital investigation reveals network of roughly 100 groups with $825 million in combined annual revenue coordinating Newark ICE protests through encrypted Signal chats, strategic comms documents and military-style supply operations.”
The call to action quickly migrated to Signal, an encrypted messaging platform, where hundreds of anti-ICE activists communicated under pseudonyms such as “framed.unrest” and “Wicked Something.” Inside these secret groups, organizers coordinated transportation, logistics, and supplies—including protective gear like goggles, respirators, and padding—preparing for a potentially volatile confrontation.
Insider sources say the tone of the encrypted messages signals the risk of escalating violence, with out-of-state agitators viewing Delaney Hall as a catalyst for a nationwide protest movement against ICE and federal detention centers. Authorities are reportedly monitoring these channels closely and have issued warnings to agents and officers in the field.
As of this morning, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has not issued a statement regarding the threats or the influx of out-of-state protesters, despite rising concerns about possible unrest. The New Jersey State Police has also not publicly addressed the messages.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has made his position clear. The federal government will not tolerate verbal or physical attacks on its agents.
“I have ZERO tolerance. If you verbally assault our officers, you go after our vehicles…we will find you, we will arrest you,” he said. “Sanctuary politicians need to stop choosing to release criminals from their jails. We need cooperation with ICE to keep our nation. Our heroic ICE law enforcement officers were bitten, assaulted, and faced death threats from violent rioters in New Jersey. The First Amendment protects speech and peaceful assembly – NOT rioting and assault.”