Tensions flared dramatically at Delaney Hall, a controversial immigration detention center in Newark, after around 50 detainees pushed down a wall inside the facility Thursday night, sparking a night of chaos, protest, and a federal manhunt.

The unrest was reportedly triggered by deteriorating conditions, including poor food quality and treatment. Immigration attorney Mustafa Cetin, representing one of the detainees, said the men brought down a weak outer dormitory wall in a desperate act of revolt.

“It’s about the food… some detainees were getting aggressive and it turned violent,” said Cetin.

In the aftermath, protesters flooded the area, clashing with ICE agents and law enforcement, blocking official vehicles and chanting against the Trump administration’s immigration policies. On social media, videos showed scenes of confusion, aggression, and alleged use of pepper spray, gas, and reports of a fire inside the center.

By Friday morning, four detainees remained unaccounted for, prompting the Department of Homeland Security to issue a nationwide alert. Additional federal resources have been deployed in a search effort.

Delaney Hall is operated by GEO Group, a private prison contractor with a $60 million federal contract. The facility, recently reopened after renovation, is facing heavy criticism from local officials, who claim it lacks essential safety approvals, including zoning compliance and a valid certificate of occupancy. GEO Group denies these allegations.

The political fallout has been swift. Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver was arrested during an oversight visit to Delaney Hall shortly after its reopening and has since been indicted on charges of interfering with federal officers — charges she calls “political intimidation.”

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was also arrested and later released. In a statement about the recent events, he said:

“This entire situation lacks sufficient oversight of every basic detail, including local zoning laws and fundamental constitutional rights.”

The incident is the latest flashpoint in the broader crisis surrounding immigration enforcement under Donald Trump’s administration, which has drawn nationwide protests, especially in Los Angeles, where Trump controversially deployed the National Guard without state consent.

As the search continues for the escaped detainees and scrutiny intensifies, critics are warning of the dangers of privatized detention, weak oversight, and the erosion of legal protections for migrants.

“History will judge us as cowards or heroes,” Mayor Baraka previously stated — a sentiment now echoed louder in the wake of Newark’s fiery unrest.