Democrats accuse Trump officials of lying about ICE facility ‘assault,’ but Republicans want revenge

A conflict between Democratic lawmakers and the Trump administration over a protest at an ICE detention facility has grown more intense. Republicans are proposing a bill to remove three Democratic representatives from their committee positions in the House.

The incident, which happened on May 9 at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey, has sparked a heated political fight that underscores the deep disagreements over immigration policy and enforcement. Republicans had already threatened arrests over the situation, but it seems complete removal may be on the table, according to Newsweek.

The dispute started when Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, Robert Menendez, and LaMonica McIver, along with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, visited the facility to protest its reopening for detaining migrants. Officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claim the group acted aggressively, saying the lawmakers “stormed” the facility and even “body-slammed” ICE officers.

ICE and Democrats tell a different story of the day

The Democrats strongly deny these accusations. Representative Watson Coleman said ICE tried to block them from entering and ignored their official authority, calling the threats of arrest an attempt to intimidate them. Video of the incident is being reviewed. Mayor Baraka was arrested and charged with trespassing.

In response to the alleged actions, Representative Earl “Buddy” Carter introduced a bill to remove the three Democratic representatives from their committee assignments. The resolution would take Watson Coleman off the House Committee on Appropriations, McIver from the House Committees on Homeland Security and Small Business, and Menendez from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green criticized the Democrats’ actions, repeating the administration’s claims that they acted unlawfully and tried to free detainees. A DHS spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, said more arrests could happen and claimed the lawmakers’ actions put law enforcement and detainees at risk. McLaughlin’s accusations of assault are disputed by a spokesperson for Watson Coleman, who said that body camera footage they reviewed shows ICE agents making physical contact with the representatives first, which contradicts the administration’s version of events.

The spokesperson called the administration’s threats an abuse of power meant to scare those who oppose them. This incident is just one example of the growing conflict between congressional Democrats and the Trump administration over immigration enforcement. Even a judge went against Trump’s orders and was suspended, so the political tension is high.

The proposed resolution to remove the Democrats from their committee roles marks a major escalation in this fight, showing how partisan tensions over immigration policy have reached a boiling point and raising questions about what counts as acceptable protest.

If the resolution passes, it could lead to even more division and set a precedent for similar retaliatory moves in the future. The accusations, denials, and proposed punishments show just how polarized American politics has become and raise important questions about where the line should be drawn between lawful protest and government authority.