Photojournalist Hit and Dragged by Car while Covering Delaney Hall Protests

Several protesters demonstrate and stand off with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey on May 26, 2026. The photo shows a separate incident.

A photojournalist was hit and dragged by a car while covering the protest outside Delaney Hall immigration detention center this weekend.

Warning: The following video contains content that some may find upsetting.

Demonstrators have maintained a presence outside the Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey for two weeks in support of detainees who went on a hunger and labor strike to demand improved living conditions and access to medical care. The detention center has become a focal point for protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

According to NBC New York, clashes broke out outside the facility on the evening of Friday, June 6, as protesters attempted to block vehicles entering and leaving the detention center, during which a photojournalist was hit by a vehicle.

Video recorded by a freelance videographer showed chaotic scenes outside Delaney Hall. In one video, protesters can be seen standing in front of vehicles believed to be carrying workers as they leave the facility. Demonstrators were also seen banging on windows and kicking cars as they exited. One man who stepped into a traffic lane was clipped by a vehicle. A photojournalist documenting the protest was then struck and partially dragged by a car.

The photographer reportedly remained conscious after the incident and could be heard speaking in the footage. According to a report by NorthJersey.com, photographer Joseph Pacheco later wrote on Instagram that he was the person hit by the vehicle and had been treated at a hospital.

NBC New York says it contacted Newark’s Department of Public Safety to ask whether a police report had been filed or if anyone had been charged. The department did not comment and instead referred the outlet to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“This incident occurred between rioters and GEO group employees exiting the facility where they work.” A DHS spokesperson tells the news outlet in a statement. “We remind members of the media to exercise caution.”

The DHS also says covering the protests “does come with risks — though our officers take every reasonable precaution to mitigate those dangers to those exercising protected First Amendment rights.”

The incident comes days after a New Jersey police sergeant was charged with allegedly stealing a photographer’s bag after she was struck by a 2×4 and sought medical attention while covering unrest outside Delaney Hall. Photojournalist Angelina Katsanis was covering clashes outside the detention center for the Associated Press when she was hit by a wooden beam during confrontations between police and demonstrators. After seeking medical attention, she left her camera bag behind at the scene. She later returned in a wheelchair to recover her equipment, but it was missing. An AirTag inside the bag later reportedly showed its location at a home in Sparta, New Jersey, listed to Essex County police sergeant Darryl Brown.

Several photojournalists covering protests outside Delaney Hall say they have been targeted and attacked by ICE agents, with some reporting damaged camera equipment and physical injuries, including broken fingers.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.

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