Incident details
- Date of incident
- May 28, 2026
- Location
- Newark, New Jersey
- Targets
- Yaakov Strasberg (Independent)
- Assailant
- Law enforcement
- Was the journalist targeted?
- Unknown
Assault
Federal officers during an immigration protest outside a detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, on May 28, 2026. Independent reporter Yaakov Strasberg was shoved by an officer while documenting the demonstration.
Independent reporter Yaakov Strasberg was shoved out of the way by federal officers 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.
While covering the protest on May 28, Strasberg said his interactions with law enforcement were generally uneventful. However, he told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that an officer pushed him while police were moving through a crowd.
Strasberg, who primarily posts videos to YouTube and X, said he was standing among demonstrators at the time, rather than off to the side, and speculated that may have contributed to the encounter.
“Still, I had my press badge on, so it’s not hard to identify me,” Strasberg said.
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].
