DHS blasts N.J. Dems, accusing them of coordinated falsehoods over ICE detainees

 

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill speaks during the The Center for American Progress (CAP) IDEAS Conference in Washington, DC on May 19, 2026.

The Department of Homeland Security issued a blistering rebuff on Monday against several New Jersey Democrat officials, accusing them of executing a coordinated political stunt and spreading coordinated falsehoods regarding the treatment of detainees at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility over Memorial Day weekend.

The official pushback came in response to allegations from local lawmakers who had claimed that hundreds of individuals inside Newark’s Delaney Hall detention center had launched a massive hunger strike to protest inhumane and unconstitutional conditions.

In an official statement released by the agency, federal authorities unequivocally denied the existence of any hunger strike or substandard conditions inside the facility. Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis described the lawmakers’ actions as a fundraising maneuver designed for online clicks rather than genuine oversight.

Bis adamantly stated that there is no ongoing hunger strike at Delaney Hall and no recorded instances of abuse. Instead, the department explained further that the facility adheres to rigorous oversight protocols, noting that all detainees are consistently provided with clean water, clothing, bedding, and three daily meals evaluated by certified dietitians.

 

The political dispute quickly manifested as chaos violence outside the facility’s gates on Monday afternoon, forcing riot-gear-clad ICE personnel to deploy pepper balls, mace, and batons against crowds of demonstrators. The escalating unrest occurred when far-left activists formed a human chain to block federal transport vans from entering or exiting the premises.

Among those caught in the confrontation was U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who was treated by aid volunteers after being pepper-sprayed. 

 

Kim, alongside Governor Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Representative Rob Menendez (D-N.J.) had arrived at the facility allegedly attempting to conduct an independent oversight visit — but was barred from entering by federal administrators.

 

Sherrill then stoked the protesters’ fear and rage by publicly questioning what the agency was hiding — a sentiment the crowd quickly weaponized into a rhetorical rallying cry.

This prompted DHS leadership to fire back at the lawmakers’ unified calls to permanently shutter Delaney Hall, a facility recently reopened under a massive contract with the GEO Group, by highlighting the criminal records of several illegal aliens currently slated for removal.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin publicly questioned if the state’s “sanctuary politicians” would prefer to house convicted criminals in their own neighborhoods rather than cooperate with federal law enforcement.

Additionally, the agency argued that political rhetoric painting immigration enforcement as lawless has directly endangered its personnel, claiming that these persistent public smears by left-wing politicans have actively contributed to an unprecedented increase of more than 1,300% in physical assaults against ICE officers nationwide.