NEW YORK, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. state of New Jersey on early Sunday imposed a curfew around a detention center of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following escalating clashes between protesters and police.
The curfew will be in effect between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. for all areas within a half-mile of the Delaney Hall Detention Facility until further notice, according to Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
"Due to the escalating situation at Delaney Hall and the increasing need for police intervention, immediate action is required to protect public safety," Baraka said in a statement.
"Multiple individuals have already been arrested and found in possession of weapons, underscoring the seriousness of the threat," he added.
Six people were arrested outside the facility late Friday night after they failed to follow police orders to disperse.
In another statement issued Sunday morning, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said protesters "attacked" a barrier between law enforcement and demonstrators Saturday night, and were "throwing projectiles, utilizing the barriers as weapons, and lighting tires on fire in the street."
Crowds have been gathering for over a week to protest alleged inhumane conditions and a hunger strike by detainees inside the facility. New Jersey State Police has used tear gas and nonlethal tactics to disperse crowds, local media reported.
The Department of Homeland Security said early Sunday on X that the area around the facility had been secured and that the agency "WON'T BACK DOWN." ■