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On what planet do ICE agents tear gas a US senator?
Um, that would be this planet, I guess.
Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., was attempting to play a mediating role between protesters and a hunger strike taking place at the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark.
Kim was allowed in only after calling Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a former Senate colleague.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., outside the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark. (Senator Andy Kim; X)
This is what Kim described on Facebook:
“18-year-old high school student crying and saying she just wanted to graduate from her senior year.”
“Woman who had a miscarriage and left to fend for herself.”
“Mom is not allowed to spend more than a few minutes with a 4-month-old baby.”
He continued in that vein.
“Our government should focus on helping Americans afford their lives, not locking people up in for-profit detention centers,” he said.
Outside, the senator stood between ICE agents and protesters, raising his arms, according to NJ.com. The agents fired their chemical irritants anyway, hitting Kim and many in the crowd. Doctors were later photographed washing Kim’s eyes.
New Jersey’s new governor, Democrat Mikie Sherrill, showed up and was denied entry to the detention center.
“What I heard from them was heartbreaking,” Sherill said, referring to family members and advocates.
What are these people trying to hide? Reject the state governor?
Sherill said he has heard from relatives of detainees who have complained about spoiled food and lack of medical care.
RELATED: MARKWAYNE MULLIN FOUND IN DEMS’ ‘TRASH’ MEMORIAL DAY ‘POLITICAL TRICK’ AT ICE FACILITY
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and Senator Andy Kim, D-N.J., stand outside the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey, during a protest on 05/25/26. (Governor Mikee Sherrill)
Mullin accused Sherill, Cory Booker and other Jersey Democrats of “smearing ICE law enforcement” and said there was no hunger strike or poor conditions at the center. “They should be grateful to our law enforcement for driving these murderers, pedophiles, rapists and drug dealers out of their state.”
After the tragic fatal shootings of two American citizens, ICE has been out of the news for a while. That was the goal for Mullin, who said she would keep a low profile, in stark contrast to her fired predecessor, Kristi Noem.
It has also adopted some reforms, such as requiring officers to obtain a search warrant before entering a home, which would have prevented several embarrassing episodes of mistaken addresses and identities.
As Mullin said at his confirmation hearing in March: “My goal in six months is for us to not be in the main story every day.” The White House wants to downplay this volatile issue ahead of the midterm elections.
A major problem has been poorly trained officers who were allowed to join the force with an abbreviated 47-day training program. Mullin reinstated the standard 72-day curriculum.
Look, most ICE agents are trying to do a dangerous job under difficult conditions. Hundreds of people have been charged with assaulting or assaulting a federal officer.
Making matters worse are claims that some ICE agents have not received their full paychecks or the promised $50,000 sign-up bonus.
I’m not crazy about for-profit detention centers, but what options do they have? There are not enough cells to house all of these detainees. Delaney Hall, for example, has up to 1,000 of them.
An ICE agent wields a paintball gun from atop an armored vehicle amid ongoing protests at New Jersey’s Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey. 05/26/26. (WNYW)
One attorney says 74 cases were assigned to one judge in a single day.
But poor care is unacceptable. We often hear the phrase “no one is above the law.”
If ICE was proud of these facilities, why are they preventing people like the governor from entering? We’re talking about inspections of Iranian nuclear development: Why isn’t Delaney Hall open for top elected officials to see how taxpayer dollars are spent at home? Federal and state prisons are inspected all the time.
This should be a requirement for anyone running these places. And they obviously have a lot of things they want to keep secret.
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