Anti-ICE agitators clash with federal agents outside New Jersey detention center as tensions escalate

By Fox News · Fox News

NEWARK, N.J. — Chaotic scenes intensified Thursday outside Delaney Hall, a federal immigration detention center as anti-ICE agitators clashed with federal agents amid escalating tensions over immigration enforcement and conditions inside. The protest crowd had swelled to more than 100 by 8 p.m. local time, as frequent clashes cropped up when unmarked federal vehicles approached to enter the center. As ICE agents appeared to swing on a fulcrum, some agitators refused to get out of the way — including one man who was dragged to the ground and detained just feet from where Fox News Digital was perched. An ICE agent could not confirm or deny whether detaining the civilian suspect portended potential criminal charges. ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH AGENTS OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER AS GOV. SHERRILL DENIED ENTRY The clashes at the privately operated detention center — which activists believe houses roughly 900 detainees — come after days of mounting protests , political backlash and confrontations between demonstrators and federal authorities. New Jersey Democrats, including Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Sen. Andy Kim, have criticized conditions at Delaney Hall, while the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused lawmakers and activists of fueling unrest and undermining ICE enforcement operations. Thursday evening, protesters blocked roads surrounding the facility as federal agents moved in and out of the area. At one point, an unmarked federal vehicle drove through the crowd, prompting a female agitator to accuse ICE agents of attempting to hit women demonstrators. One man was seen being detained during the chaos. When asked whether the detention would result in criminal charges , one ICE agent replied that he "can’t confirm," though he said it politely, according to reports. PROTESTERS CLASH WITH ICE AS NJ DETENTION FACILITY DEMONSTRATIONS CONTINUE During another scuffle Thursday, an agitator who encroached was tossed to the ground by his shirt and another was p…