Protester Returns to Delaney Hall Days After Being Struck by Car, Vows to Continue Demonstrations

A protester who was hit by a vehicle outside Newark’s Delaney Hall immigration detention center has returned to the same location only days later, saying the incident will not stop her from continuing to demonstrate.

Alex James, whose legal name is Alex Pride, was struck by a red sports car on Sunday while holding an upside-down American flag during a protest outside the detention facility. The incident, which was captured on video and widely shared on social media, drew significant public attention and raised fresh concerns about safety at demonstrations taking place near Delaney Hall.

According to Alex, the vehicle approached unexpectedly as she stood near the entrance to the employee parking area. She said protesters were not deliberately blocking the driveway at the time. Earlier in the day, she explained, other vehicles had safely entered the parking lot after protesters moved aside when they noticed traffic approaching.

Alex said she never realized another vehicle was coming before she was hit.

She recalled that the impact happened so suddenly that she immediately understood she had been struck while trying to brace herself during the fall. Despite the frightening experience, she suffered only minor injuries and was taken to University Hospital in Newark, where she received medical treatment.

Rather than ending her involvement in the demonstrations, Alex returned to Delaney Hall later that same day after leaving the hospital. She said she and a friend stopped for food before going back to the protest site, determined not to let the incident discourage her.

On Wednesday, Newark Police announced that the 38-year-old driver involved in the incident had been charged with assault by auto and cited for reckless driving.

Alex’s attorney, James Cook of Burris, Nisenbaum, Curry & Lacy, said no lawsuit has been filed yet, but confirmed that his client plans to pursue legal action.

The video of the collision quickly spread across social media, generating hundreds of thousands of views and prompting widespread discussion about both Alex’s condition and the ongoing protests outside Delaney Hall.

For Alex, however, the attention has never been about herself. She says her focus remains on the conditions reported by people being held inside the immigration detention center.

In recent weeks, detainees at Delaney Hall have organized hunger strikes and labor strikes, claiming they have experienced poor living conditions, including meals allegedly containing worms and limited access to basic medical care. Those allegations have become a central issue for protesters who continue gathering outside the facility.

Alex, an event photographer and longtime activist from Minnesota’s Twin Cities area, traveled to New Jersey after learning that volunteers operating a mutual aid tent outside Delaney Hall needed additional supplies.

She organized donations from supporters back home, collecting medical supplies, personal protective equipment, and other essential items. The response was so large, she said, that she had to rent a trailer to transport everything to New Jersey.

Originally planning only a short visit, Alex has now remained in the state since early June. She said she has placed much of her personal life on hold and accumulated credit card debt in order to continue supporting the protest effort.

According to Alex, standing outside Delaney Hall remains important because she believes the people detained inside deserve public attention and community support. She also noted that many others involved in the demonstrations have accepted personal risks to continue speaking out.

Safety has become an increasing concern around the facility. Alex pointed out that several protesters and journalists have reportedly been struck by vehicles entering or leaving the employee parking lot during the past month. She also referenced an earlier incident in which a photojournalist was hit and partially dragged by a vehicle.

Alongside those incidents, demonstrations outside Delaney Hall have frequently involved confrontations between protesters, ICE agents, and local law enforcement, with protesters at times being exposed to tear gas and pepper spray.

Even after experiencing the collision herself, Alex says she feels she belongs at the protest site.

Standing near the location where she was hit, she said she wanted members of the community to see that the incident had not forced her to leave. She believes continuing to appear at the demonstrations sends a message that intimidation will not silence those protesting.

Alex also spoke emotionally about her mother, a Vietnamese immigrant who later became a U.S. citizen. She described her mother as one of the biggest reasons she continues participating in the demonstrations.

According to Alex, her mother is currently in Vietnam, and she advised her not to return to the United States at this time because she worries about racial profiling and immigration enforcement.

For Alex, protesting represents more than opposing one detention facility. She says it reflects her vision of an America where immigrant families are treated fairly and where people are not separated from their loved ones or held in facilities such as Delaney Hall under the conditions being described by detainees.

She believes the hardships faced by those inside the detention center are far greater than what she experienced after being hit by the vehicle. That belief, she said, is exactly why she has no intention of stepping away from the demonstrations.

Sources
Newark Police Department
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)