NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill blames violence at Delaney Hall anti-ICE protests on outside agitators

The bulk of violent anti-ICE protesters who hurled vile insults at New Jersey police and physically taunted them in the chaotic standoff at Delaney Hall immigration detention center Friday were outside agitators, Gov. Mikie Sherrill revealed Saturday.

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“Five of the six people arrested last night by state police were from outside New Jersey, and some national extremist groups have become involved in the protest here today,” Sherrill said in an afternoon press conference.

“To the people coming from out of state to create chaos and dangerous situations: you should not be here. You are not helping the people detained at Delaney Hall.”

The names of the six rioters arrested in the Friday mayhem were not released, nor did Sherrill reveal which outside groups the rabble-rousers hailed from.

Here’s the latest on the anti-ICE clashes outside Newark’s Delaney Hall

• Pro-ICE protesters back federal agents outside Delaney Hall amid unrest near NJ facility
• Anti-ICE protesters pooling cash for riot gear, military-grade goggles to fuel Newark mayhem
• Delaney Hall anti-ICE clashes rage on – despite NJ gov.’s ‘peaceful’ protest zone
• NJ governor is blocking cops from helping feds at violent Delaney Hall protests, union says: ‘We want to help’

At least some were involved in the attack on a marked police patrol car and “made threats towards personnel, creating immediate safety concerns due to escalating safety risks,” said New Jersey State Police Lt. Col. David Sierotowicz.

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Sherrill called for demonstrators to “bring the temperature down” outside Delaney Hall, but promised to protect their right to protest peacefully.

The protests continued Saturday.

Around 200 pro- and roughly 300 anti-ICE supporters were each cordoned off behind separate barricades — the “peace zones” Sherrill had attempted to establish the day before.

The warring groups continued to scream and hurl insults at one another, but did not clash.

“Right now, [ICE is] only doing their job, which is to protect Americans, New Jerseyans and keep these people off the streets,” said John Raftery, 70, who showed up to support ICE wearing a red MAGA hat and a sign that read “American First.”

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