Protesters block ICE vehicles outside New Jersey detention centre amid hunger strike

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents clashed with protesters outside a migrant detention centre in Newark on Monday amid a hunger strike by detainees demanding improved conditions and medical care.

Demonstrators gathered outside Delaney Hall after learning that detainee Martin Soto, who announced the strike on Friday, was being transferred to another facility.

Protesters attempted to block ICE vehicles from leaving the site, according to ABC 7 and Gothamist.

Soto’s wife, Gabriela, told CBS News: “They were pulling and dragging him into the van.”

“He was banging on the window. He was screaming and banging on the window. That’s why everyone here is blocking it because they’re not going to let my husband be deported or sent away,” she added.

According to The Guardian, protesters alleged ICE agents used pepper spray and physical force to clear the area during the overnight standoff.

The Department of Homeland Security defended the operation, saying protesters had “formed a human chain around entrances to the facility and set up barricades”.

The agency confirmed Soto was transferred to another detention centre and said visitation at Delaney Hall had been suspended “out of an abundance of caution to ensure the continued safety of staff, detainees, and visitors.”