Officials in New Jersey arrested dozens of protesters overnight after they defied a curfew outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark.

Authorities said some demonstrators were carrying protective gear such as helmets and gas masks and refused repeated orders to disperse, leading to clashes with police.

Reports of arrest totals varied, with estimates ranging from about 20 to more than 40 people.

The protests came amid more than a week of tense and sometimes violent demonstrations over conditions at the facility and treatment of detainees, The Guardian has reported.

State officials recently took over security from federal ICE officers, imposed a nighttime curfew, and cited ongoing unrest as justification for the enforcement actions.