Over the past week, dozens of people have been arrested outside Delaney Hall, a private ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey — many for simply refusing to leave a protest zone. State police in riot gear on horseback rushed the crowd less than 15 minutes after issuing a dispersal order. Between 20 and 46 people were arrested in a single night.

These protesters were not criminals. They were showing up for people locked inside a facility where detainees report maggots in their food, denial of medical care, and retaliation for speaking out. The Department of Homeland Security has mocked them publicly, posting videos of detained protesters with the caption "Don't be this guy."

Protest is not a crime. Showing up for human rights is not a crime. The people arrested outside Delaney Hall were exercising a fundamental democratic right — and they are being punished for it while the facility they were protesting continues to operate.

We're calling on New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport to drop all charges against Delaney Hall protesters and release everyone arrested immediately.

Photo: Ryan Murphy/Reuters