Protests outside the GEO Group-operated facility, which holds around 900 immigrants, started peacefully but escalated into clashes with federal agents using pepper spray and batons after demonstrators blockaded vehicles with trash cans and concrete. Injuries occurred on both sides, including Brendan John Geier charged with assaulting officers by kicking and biting them, while death threats targeted agents and independent journalist Cam Higby had his iPhone smashed by protesters. Governor Mikie Sherrill deployed state police Friday to secure peace zones and prevent further violence, as DHS calls agents heroic amid denied claims of inhumane conditions like spoiled meals.
