ACLU-NJ Responds to Use of Force by New Jersey State Police Against Delaney Hall Protesters

Following reports of use of force by New Jersey State Police against peaceful protesters at Delaney Hall, John Butler, Political Director of the ACLU of New Jersey, issued the following statement:

“This week’s protests at Delaney Hall – including last night – have been overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrations of people exercising their constitutional right to call out the inhumanity of the immigration detention and deportation system. While we know asserting our rights can come with risk, the state has a responsibility to honor New Jerseyans’ constitutional rights and protect us from wrongdoing at the hands of federal agents. New Jersey’s response must prioritize the safety and well-being of people – not mimic the dangerous and overly militarized tactics of the federal government. The New Jersey State Police’s actions against protesters at Delaney Hall were an unnecessary response to free speech and the right to peaceful protest.

“The real harm we’re facing isn’t from peaceful protests, but from the rampant ICE raids tearing apart our communities, the brutality of the immigration detention system, and the retaliation and excessive force being used against detainees, observers, journalists, and protesters. The burden is on the state to demonstrate that it values the First Amendment rights of protesters, and the dignity and humanity of those victimized by the federal government’s mass deportation agenda.”