Photojournalist injured by crowd-control munition at New Jersey protest

Photojournalist David “Dee” Delgado was shoved by state police and targeted with crowd-control munitions, one of which burned his hand, while covering a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its treatment of detainees in Newark, New Jersey, on May 29, 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, as did state police in the days that followed. The Department of Homeland Security has denied allegations of detainee mistreatment.

Delgado told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that after dark on May 29, it became clear that New Jersey State Police had taken the lead in responding to the protest. Officers began pushing back demonstrators, as well as Delgado and other media, deploying tear gas and patrolling on horseback.

“Things escalated pretty fast,” he said. “I could tell they were not happy we were there, and they were just trying to make it difficult for the press.”

At one point, Delgado and a colleague were standing on the sidelines when an officer threw a flash-bang device at them. It exploded between them, he said. As they were pulling back, another officer made eye contact with Delgado and then shot a smoke grenade at his left hand.

“That was, without a doubt, intentional,” Delgado said.

Delgado drove himself to the emergency room, where he was treated for minor burns on three fingers and more serious second-degree burns on two others. Delgado said he’s still working, but the blisters from the burns on his pointer and middle finger make it harder.

In the days leading up to the May 29 protest, Delgado was also pepper-sprayed and shoved by ICE officers.

The state police did not return a request for comment.

In a statement posted to X that night, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport wrote that state police were clearing the area outside Delaney Hall because a small number of people were blocking the pathway for law enforcement vehicles. It did not address the use of force against members of the press.