On May 28, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were clearing a road outside the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark when demonstrators refused to move. According to federal authorities, Brendan John Geier, 26, of Madison, engaged in a physical altercation with two ICE officers by kicking them and biting one officer’s forearm and another’s knuckle. Both victims received medical treatment at local hospitals.
Geier was arrested on May 28, 2026, and charged with assaulting federal officers and causing bodily injury. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais and was released with location monitoring, a curfew, and a prohibition from returning to Delaney Hall.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that “peaceful protest does not translate to violently attacking federal law enforcement officers” and emphasized that “federal officers are protecting United States’ property and facilities.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey reported Geier is among 21 individuals arrested over four days for assaulting federal officers near Delaney Hall from May 26 through May 29.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin noted that the FBI had arrested a rioter who threatened to kill ICE officers and their families, adding, “Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The charge for assault resulting in bodily injury carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Geier remains presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court.