Newark Mayor Ras Baraka this morning announced the expansion of a city lawsuit against the GEO Group as part of his administration's efforts to close Delaney Hall and restore constitutional law and order to the city.

Baraka reminded reporters that Newark has been engaged in active litigation against the GEO Group for a year, having advocated for the immediate closure of the ICE-contracted detention facility due to alleged violations of city code.

The lawsuit will focus additionally on allegations of human rights abuses inside the GEO Group-managed Delaney Hall.

Unrest in the street prompted by a hunger and work strike by detainees, reports of malfeasance in the facility, coupled with the unaccountable and hair trigger history of ICE inside Delaney Hall, prompted Governor Mikie Sherrill last Friday to deploy State Police to Newark. Baraka subsequently established a curfew to minimize threats of violence. A fire in the middle of the road sparked the curfew, in addition to concerns about pedestrians convening in the area of moving vehicles, the mayor said.

Baraka said Newark Police continue to undertake a more active role to deescalate the situation, asserting incident command, while working with the state "to manage what is going on."

"We probably should have done that earlier," he said, at a podium in front of the facility in question.

Baraka also expressed his concern about the public conversation shifting from inside to outside, away from the harm and hardship of the detainees. Do not forget, the mayor added of the GEO Group, "This is a private company hiding under the auspices of [the federal government]."

In addition, Baraka said police made no new arrests last night and said the Governor acted the way "she was supposed to act" when she sent police to the area around Delaney Hall to ensure the safe and proper deescalation of the scene without giving ICE a chance to impose its methods. The state, moreover, is in discussions with Newark about being party to Newark's lawsuit against the GEO Group.