Anti-ICE Delaney Hall protester from NYC charged with threatening to kill agent, his family

A Brooklyn man has been arrested and charged for allegedly threatening to kill an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer and his family during an anti-ICE protest outside Newark’s Delaney Hall last week. Nicholas Matthew Scelfo, 27, was taken into custody on May 29 after allegedly shouting threats, including ‘I’ll kill your whole f–king family,’ while wearing protective goggles during a heated clash at the detention facility. Federal authorities identified Scelfo using facial recognition technology, according to FBI Director Kash Patel. The Justice Department confirmed he admitted to making the threats after his arrest. Scelfo is charged with influencing, impeding, and retaliating against a federal officer by threat, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that federal law enforcement officers should not face threats while performing their duties. ‘We take such threats very seriously and will prosecute those who make them to the fullest extent of the law,’ he said. Patel warned others protesting in New Jersey, emphasizing that ‘you touch a cop, and this FBI will put you down.’ Protests at Delaney Hall have escalated since May 22, with violent clashes reported over the weekend, including police deployment of tear gas. Dozens of protesters have been arrested during the demonstrations, which continue daily outside the facility. Scelfo was scheduled to appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Newark federal court on Monday. His case follows a pattern of tensions between anti-ICE activists and law enforcement in the region.