Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pepper-sprayed U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) and protesters outside Delaney Hall, an immigrant detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. The incident happened when the senator was trying to work out an agreement between agents and protesters to calm the situation down.
According to Mediaite, Senator Kim placed himself between the crowd and the agents, raising his arms as if to signal them to stop. But agents began pushing the crowd back and fired projectiles containing chemical irritants. “It’s just burning,” Kim said after inhaling the chemicals, according to NJ.com.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill (D) was also present and was denied entry into the facility, which holds up to 1,000 inmates. She had spoken with family members of detainees, who said they had been served spoiled food and received poor medical care. “No matter what your immigration status is, you shouldn’t be treated with anything less than dignity in this country,” Governor Sherrill said.
Delaney Hall has a long history of controversy and serious allegations
The incident is not the first time Delaney Hall has made headlines. In June of last year, four detainees escaped the facility during a revolt over food. The month before that, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested outside the building.
Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez Jr., and LaMonica McIver had also tried to get inside the facility, pointing to their powers of congressional oversight. McIver was later indicted on charges of interfering with federal officers and pleaded not guilty. With ICE activity drawing more attention nationwide, many people are now looking into what to do if ICE agents are in your area.
The facility has faced repeated scrutiny from lawmakers and advocates over how detainees are treated inside. Family members of those held there have raised concerns about the conditions, including the quality of food and access to medical care.
The pepper-spraying of a sitting U.S. Senator outside the facility has drawn even more attention to the lack of transparency around Delaney Hall and how it is being run. Several elected officials at different levels of government have now tried, and failed, to gain access to the building.
The broader debate around immigrant detention continues to grow as more lawmakers push for oversight and accountability. Amid mounting pressure on the agency, there have even been discussions about Trump’s plan to rebrand ICE’s public image as a way to soften how the agency is seen by the public. The events at Delaney Hall are part of a wider pattern of tension between federal immigration enforcement and state and local officials across the country.
Published: May 26, 2026 11:50 am