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A New Jersey man was arrested after allegedly biting two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during a chaotic anti-ICE protest outside a Newark detention facility, authorities said.
Brendan John Geier, 26, of Madison, New Jersey, was arrested Thursday and charged with assaulting federal officers and causing bodily injury, according to the Department of Justice.
A DOJ news release said the incident took place outside Newark’s Delaney Hall detention center, where protesters have gathered for more than a week and have been accused of assaulting federal agents.
“Peaceful protest doesn’t translate to violently attacking federal law enforcement officers,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
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“Federal officers are protecting United States’ property and facilities,” Blanche continued. “With virtually no local law enforcement support from New Jersey, rioters are regrouping and attacking.”
Blanche said additional arrests could follow as authorities continue investigating the demonstrations.
“We will not tolerate the vicious attacks we have seen in Newark the last few days, and we will make arrests and hold people accountable for criminal conduct,” he said.
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Nine people were arrested during Thursday’s clashes, the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital.
The demonstrations have at times turned confrontational, with federal officials saying agents have deployed pepper spray and used crowd-control tactics to push back agitators.
“As alleged in the Justice Department’s complaint, this violent rioter savagely bit an ICE law enforcement officer outside of Delaney Hall,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. “The Trump Administration will always stand with our law enforcement officers.”
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He added that “anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The DOJ said the incident took place around 10:30 a.m. Thursday as federal officers conducted perimeter security operations at the Newark facility.
Prosecutors said a large group of demonstrators blocked a roadway leading to the detention center, prompting deportation officers to form a line and advance toward the crowd, which allegedly included Geier.
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According to prosecutors, demonstrators ignored repeated commands to move back and remained in the roadway.
“Geier instead engaged in a struggle with deportation officers, kicking officers and ultimately biting an officer’s forearm, and another’s knuckle,” the DOJ said in a news release.
Both officers were treated at a local hospital, authorities said.
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The announcement came hours after Blanche said a separate man was arrested outside Delaney Hall for allegedly making death threats against an ICE officer and the officer’s family.
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