Man Charged with Assaulting ICE Officers During Protests in Newark

Brendan John Geier, a 26-year-old from Madison, New Jersey, has been charged with federal offenses after allegedly biting two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during protests outside Delaney Hall detention center in Newark on May 30, 2026. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Geier was part of a group blocking the road when ICE officers instructed them to disperse. The DOJ reported that Geier engaged in a struggle with the officers, resulting in injuries that required medical treatment for the officers. Geier faces charges of assaulting federal officers and causing bodily injury, and he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche condemned the violence against ICE officers, stating that such actions would not be tolerated. He emphasized that federal officers must be able to perform their duties without facing violence. The protests outside Delaney Hall have been ongoing for nearly two weeks, with both anti-ICE and pro-ICE demonstrators present. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has directed state police to manage public safety at the site.