Full Breakdown
Escalating Crackdown on Anti-ICE Protests in 2026
6/2/2026, 12:50:38 AM
Delaney Hall Hunger Strike and State Response
About 300 immigrants at Newark’s Delaney Hall ICE facility began an 11-day hunger and labor strike. State police erected a barricade; Mayor Ras Baraka imposed a curfew and ordered arrests of demonstrators who ignored it. Governor Sherrill called for the jail’s shutdown. Activists, including Sally Pillay, reported police using shields, mounted horses, flash-bangs, tear gas and smoke bombs, forcing crowds toward a tent.
Spokane Protest Convictions
A federal jury in Spokane convicted three anti-ICE demonstrators, including veteran Bajun Mavalwalla, of conspiracy to impede federal officers. The defendants face up to six years; no injuries were reported among protesters or ICE agents. The case arose from a 2022 Facebook post about two Venezuelan migrants and FBI arrests, though the protest was described as largely peaceful.
ICE Leadership and Private-Prison Contracts
ICE’s acting director Todd Lyons resigned after a year, and President Trump appointed GEO Group executive David Venturella as his successor, granting a waiver that lets him work on contracts with his former employer. GEO Group reported a 700 % profit increase to $254 million in 2025, driven by contracts for facilities like Delaney Hall. Senator Elizabeth Warren warned that Venturella’s long-standing ties to private-prison industry raise concerns about his ability to serve.
Official Statements & Responses
Governor Sherrill urged Delaney Hall's shutdown. Mayor Baraka announced curfew and arrests. Acting U.S. Attorney General Richard Barker said the conspiracy charge “was not true to who I was or who I wanted to be as a federal prosecutor.” Senator Warren’s letter demanded disclosure of Venturella’s GEO Group ties.
Criticism & Opposition
Sally Pillay condemned police response, citing shields, mounted horses, flash-bangs, tear gas and smoke bombs. Detention Watch’s Setareh Ghandehari described the waiver to Venturella as evidence of “depth of corruption” and warned that “the people who suffer are those behind bars.” Aaron Glantz called conspiracy statute a “really large reach” for a peaceful protest.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Police say no injuries; activists report beatings and tear-gas. The indictment listed only conspiracy, yet Mavalwalla was convicted of aiding and abetting.
Verbatim Quotes
- “BAJUN MAVALWALLA: I believe very strongly in the importance for people to be able to immigrate to the United States, for asylum seekers to find safety here.” — Bajun Mavalwalla, U.S. Army veteran
- “RICHARD BAKER: I didn’t feel, in this case, that a conspiracy charge, that would carry a six-year term of incarceration, was true to who I was or to who I wanted to be as a federal prosecutor.” — Richard Barker, former Acting U.S. Attorney General
- “You worked at the GEO Group, the largest private prison contractor operating immigrant detention facilities across the U.S., for over a decade prior to joining ICE; that history, and your reported use of DHS personnel and resources for personal or political favors, raise serious concerns about your ability to effectively serve as ICE’s leader, especially at a time when the Trump Administration’s mass deportation agenda is systematically violating fundamental human rights,” — Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senator
What’s Next
Governor Sherrill’s call to close Delaney Hall may trigger legal challenges. The Spokane defendants await sentencing. Congress debates a $38 billion ICE appropriations package funding warehouse detention. Advocacy groups protest and litigate over private-prison contracts.
