The mayor of the US city of Newark ordered a curfew around the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in the state of New Jersey due to ongoing demonstrations.
The curfew will be in effect between 9:00 PM local time and 6:00 AM the following morning, Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement, adding that the measure will remain in place until further notice.
Pro-immigration protesters have been clashing with the police at the ICE facility for several days as concerns mount for the well-being of the center's residents. Arrests were made during the protests in Newark, New JerseyImage: Eduardo Munoz/AFP
Lawyers representing some of the detainees had told media outlets that detainees were given expired food and did not have access to medical care. They also said their clients started a hunger strike over the poor conditions within the facility, which has some 1,000 beds. With some 300 residents reportedly launching the hunger strike in May, the Delaney Hall center became the latest symbol of the embittered debate on US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, said she was denied entry last week when she tried visiting the center with state lawmakers.
