A United States Senator was subjected to tear gas amid chaotic protests outside a New Jersey immigration detention facility on Monday, following the state's governor being denied entry in what the Department of Homeland Security labelled 'a political stunt.'
Background of the Protests
Anti-ICE protesters have gathered outside Delaney Hall in Newark for several days, in solidarity with a hunger and labour strike initiated by hundreds of detainees inside, as reported by The New Jersey Monitor. The facility has become a flashpoint during the second Trump administration, with numerous Democrat politicians demanding its closure over concerns about poor conditions.
Detainees have alleged being served beans and salad containing worms, being held in overcrowded rooms without air conditioning, and having their immigration cases ignored by federal judges. Some have been detained for over a year.
The Incident on Monday
Governor Mikie Sherrill and Senator Andy Kim, along with several members of New Jersey's Democratic-heavy congressional delegation, arrived at the facility on Monday demanding answers. While Senator Kim was permitted entry, shortly thereafter he was struck by pepper balls fired by federal agents at protesters.
'What we saw here is unfortunately just what we see all over the country,' Kim told NJ.com, adding that he had difficulty breathing. Earlier on Monday, Kim stated the facility should be closed 'immediately.' Before the altercation, he claimed he was attempting to persuade agents to stop pointing guns at protesters and to broker a truce allowing immigration activists to inspect vehicles leaving the facility.
'It's sad, it's a sad day,' he added.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, Kim described what he witnessed during his oversight visit: 'I saw chaos inside and outside of the ICE detention center Delaney Hall today. Detainees protesting the lack of due process, the disgusting food and poor treatment while their families and advocates stood outside calling for help. Instead of engaging with me and others about the poor conditions, ICE sent in an armored vehicle and a line of armed agents that only poured gasoline on the fire. Civilians were tackled and restrained, and agents fired pepper balls and spray into the crowd. This is more of the same lawlessness we've seen elsewhere around the country.'
Kim demanded 'accountability' from the Trump administration and called for the facility's closure, describing it as a 'failure.'
Official Responses
A DHS spokesperson told the Daily Mail that 'no individuals were directly struck by pepper ball projectiles.' They claimed that rioters were obstructing federal agents from leaving Delaney Hall and had ignored multiple legal commands to clear the area. When they refused, DHS stated officers 'followed their training and used the minimum amount of force necessary to protect themselves, the public, and federal property.'
'The First Amendment protects speech and peaceful assembly – not rioting. DHS is taking appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters. We remind the public that rioting is dangerous—obstructing law enforcement is a federal crime and assaulting law enforcement is a felony,' the spokesperson added.
A spokesperson for Governor Sherrill, Steve Sigmund, told the Daily Mail that she spoke to Kim on Monday evening and criticised the treatment by federal agents. 'He is a sitting US Senator with a right to oversight of this federal facility, and he should be able to freely access it without being harmed,' Sigmund said.
Earlier in the day, Sherrill expressed outrage over being denied entry. 'My request for access to Delaney Hall was formally denied this morning, raising serious questions about what they are trying to hide from public view,' she said. She added that she spent the day speaking with family members of detainees who described 'heartbreaking' conditions.
'The people inside Delaney Hall are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and members of our community. In New Jersey, we believe in the rule of law and that everyone deserves to be treated with basic dignity. We have a duty to safeguard the rights, health, and well-being of everyone within our borders,' Sherrill said.
A DHS spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Mail that Senator Kim was allowed into Delaney Hall 'to conduct his congressional oversight responsibilities.' However, they slammed Governor Sherrill for allegedly exacerbating an already difficult day for ICE. 'Governor Sherrill's visit to Delaney Hall is nothing more than a political stunt on Memorial Day when visitation is currently suspended due to riots outside the facility,' a spokesperson said.
They noted that on Sunday, approximately 125 protesters surrounded the facility, 'many carrying anti-ICE signs and Antifa flags,' and blocked all entries and exits.
The spokesperson defended the treatment of detainees, stating: 'All detainees are provided with three meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries,' adding that dieticians evaluate those meals. They also said detainees can communicate with family and lawyers, and called the conditions better than most American prisons. 'It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This includes medical, dental, and mental health services as available, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives.'
Broader Context
Last year, Democrat Congresswoman LaMonica McIver was indicted over a brawl with ICE agents outside the same facility. McIver, among the New Jersey representatives at the facility on Monday, faces federal charges alleging she impeded and interfered with immigration officers seeking to arrest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. She is currently appealing a federal judge's refusal to dismiss those charges, with her next court date set for June 23.
Delaney Hall, a 1,000-bed facility along an industrial stretch of Newark Bay, opened on May 1, 2025, according to the private prison company operating it. The Trump administration's announcement of its opening came amid a headline-grabbing immigration crackdown nationwide and ramped-up deportation efforts.
The situation is unfolding in Newark and in federal court as the mayor litigates against the company running the facility. The city contends the facility should not be open yet due to building permit issues. The conflict underscores the divide between President Trump's view of an election mandate to deport individuals not lawfully in the US, and Democratic officials who question the administration's methods and the necessity of the crackdown.
The gray, two-story building, adjacent to a county prison, previously operated as a halfway house before a February 2025 announcement that ICE and the GEO Group, which runs Delaney Hall, had reached a $1 billion, 15-year deal for a detention centre there. The new facility sparked pushback from immigrant rights groups and the mayor in particular. Mayor Baraka sued GEO Group shortly after the deal was announced, claiming the facility lacks proper city permits, including a certificate of occupancy.
Florida-based GEO Group countered that the mayor is politicising the situation and that city officials did not object when the Obama administration operated the facility as an ICE processing centre. Christopher Ferreira, a company spokesperson, stated via a release that the facility is creating 'hundreds of unionized jobs, with an average annual salary of $105,000, and is expected to contribute $50 million to the local Newark economy.' In legal filings, the company argued there is no legal standing for the city to seek a preliminary injunction based on 'purported violations of city codes.'
