Press-Freedom Groups Condemn Arrests and Harassment of Journalists at Newark's Delaney Hall

NEWARK, NJ — A coalition of 18 press-freedom groups called on authorities to dismiss charges against at least three journalists who were arrested while covering ongoing protests outside Delaney Hall, a private immigration-detention center in Newark, New Jersey.   

One of the three detained reporters told members of the coalition that he had been charged with felony rioting and resisting arrest. The arrests occurred when state police enforced a curfew by using a crowd-control technique called “kettling,” which involves encircling a group and preventing people from moving. According to news reports, journalists were supposed to be exempt from the curfew. 

Press reports also show that ICE agents deliberately targeted several photojournalists for assault. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is investigating reports of at least three arrests and 38 assaults on journalists outside Delaney Hall, and five incidents of equipment damage. There are also multiple allegations that law enforcement may have stolen or lost journalists’ equipment, potentially violating the Federal Privacy Protection Act.

Protests outside Delaney Hall, New Jersey’s largest detention facility, have been ongoing for over a week following reports that detainees were on hunger and labor strikes to protest the poor conditions inside the facility.  

The coalition of press-freedom organizations — including the National Press Photographers Association, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, Free Press and the Committee to Protect Journalists — condemn these arrests in the strongest terms:

“These actions appear inconsistent with both the spirit and the substance of the New Jersey Attorney General Guidance on Police–Press Interactions During Protest Events,” said National Press Photographers Association General Counsel Mickey H. Osterreicher.  “We also need clarity regarding how press exemptions will be applied during future curfews and crowd-control operations so journalists are not subjected to arbitrary decisions by law-enforcement officers in the field.”

“Arresting reporters for covering protests is not law enforcement; it is the criminalization of the First Amendment. CPJ demands all charges be dropped immediately,” said CPJ Américas Director Jose Zamora. “This type of behavior has no place in a democracy.” 

“We remain deeply troubled by the systemic law-enforcement campaign to silence reporters who cover ICE’s gross mistreatment of immigrants,” said Vanessa Maria Graber, Free Press’ senior director of journalism and media education. “We will continue to fight for journalists’ ability to cover their communities without fear of retaliation. These unconstitutional arrests — while intended to chill coverage of these abuses — rarely stand up in a court of law.”

“Protesters were literally pleading for press to remain. Police had other ideas and kept trying to chase journalists away,” said Adam Rose, deputy director of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation. “Shockingly, at least three of those arrested ended up in the hospital. Do I really need to explain why press cameras needed to be rolling?” 

“We’ve talked with journalists who have been pepper sprayed in the face and shot with less lethal munitions in the back. These are direct assaults targeting the press and have no place in any democracy, much less the home of the First Amendment,” said Ben Grazda, advocacy manager for Reporters Without Borders North America. “After 250 years, officials clearly know these attacks are unconstitutional repression typical of an authoritarian regime. Congress, the governor and local officials must hold those responsible accountable for their actions.”

The full coalition:

National Press Photographers Association
Freedom of the Press Foundation
Free Press
Committee to Protect Journalists
American Society of Journalists and Authors
Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ)
The Deadline Club
International Women’s Media Foundation
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE)
National Press Club
National Press Club Journalism Institute
The New York Press Club
The New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists
PEN America
Radio Television Digital News Association
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Society of Professional Journalists
Society of Environmental Journalists