Journalists exposed to chemical irritants while covering Newark immigration detention protests

Summary

In late May 2026, protests erupted in Newark, New Jersey, outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility following a hunger strike by detainees protesting dire conditions. Members of Congress, state and local lawmakers, and rights groups alleged mistreatment at the facility, though the Department of Homeland Security denied these claims. Federal officers, followed by state and local police, responded with chemical irritants, physical force, and arrests. Journalists covering the protests reported being exposed to chemical irritants and facing blocked access.