Incident details
- Date of incident
- May 28, 2026
- Location
- Newark, New Jersey
- Targets
- Ben Ackman (Freelance)
- Assailant
- Law enforcement
- Was the journalist targeted?
- No
Assault
Federal agents at an immigration protest outside a detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, on May 28, 2026. Photojournalist Ben Ackman was shoved by an officer while covering the demonstration.
Photojournalist Ben Ackman was pushed by a federal officer while covering a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its treatment of detainees in Newark, New Jersey, on May 28, 2026.
Protests outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility began May 22, when many detainees went on a hunger strike. Members of Congress, state and local lawmakers and rights groups have alleged dire conditions at the facility.
Federal officers responded to the protests with chemical irritants, physical force and arrests. The Department of Homeland Security has denied allegations of detainee mistreatment.
Ackman told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that as ICE tried to clear the path for law enforcement vehicles to leave the facility, he was pushed out of the way. He was also pinned up against a car as he photographed protesters.
“It seemed to me that it was just because I was in the way,” said Ackman, who was wearing press credentials at the time. “It didn’t seem like anyone was targeting me because I had a camera.”
A couple of days earlier, Ackman was shoved by an ICE officer chasing a protester and hit with pepper spray in his eyes.
In a statement emailed to the Tracker on June 1, DHS said anyone who obstructs law enforcement or disrupts its operations would be prosecuted. It did not address its use of force against members of the press.
“We remind members of the media to exercise caution as they cover these violent riots and remind journalists that covering unlawful activities in the field does come with risks,” the statement read. “Our officers take every reasonable precaution to mitigate those dangers to those exercising protected First Amendment rights.”
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogs press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
