Sherrill, Kim and other New Jersey sandtuary politicians draw criticism after chaotic scenes erupt outside Delaney Hall
While most New Jersey families spent Memorial Day honoring fallen service members or heading to the Shore for the unofficial start of summer, a very different scene unfolded outside the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark. It wasn’t the unruly teens at the Jersey Shore causing havoc on this sacred day, it was the Democrat leaders of New Jersey who organized what is being called ‘political theater’ that ended with riot police and pepperspray.
Instead of beach traffic and boardwalk crowds dominating headlines, the state’s top Democratic politicians found themselves at the center of a tense and highly political confrontation involving immigration activists, federal agents, and detainees staging a hunger strike.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, Sen. Andy Kim, and several other Democratic figures — including Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. LaMonica McIver, and Rep. Robert Menendez Jr. — appeared publicly in support of protesters gathered outside the privately operated detention facility.
Governor Sherrill left before the police response began, leading some to question whether or not she had advanced warning from her State Police detail.
“I’m deeply disturbed by reports of the poor conditions at Delaney Hall. Unsafe, inhumane, and unconstitutional living conditions are completely unacceptable,” the governor said. “I have long opposed private detention facilities and advocated against them. I will continue to call for the closure of Delaney Hall because of reports like these.”
She left before all hell broke loose.
The demonstrations escalated throughout Memorial Day as activists formed human chains, blocked vehicles, and erected makeshift barricades around the property in an effort to disrupt ICE operations.
According to protesters and local reports, federal agents in riot gear used pepper spray and batons early Monday morning after crowds attempted to prevent vehicles from entering or leaving the facility.
Sen. Andy Kim later said he was pepper sprayed during the confrontation, he alleged, later saying he was injured breathing in the fumes from the pepperballs fired at the protesters he provoked during the day.
“Chaos” and “lawlessness” were among the words Kim used while criticizing the Trump administration’s handling of the situation, but the only chaos and lawlessness in New Jersey was Kim and his band of far-left radicals who used Memorial Day to launch another attack at the federal ICE detention facility in Newark.
But critics argued that Democratic leaders helped inflame tensions by appearing alongside activists during an already volatile standoff.
Nobody was struck with pepper balls
DHS tonight discredited Kim’s complaint that people were shot with pepperballs and pepperspray, including himself.
“No individuals were directly struck by pepper ball projectiles. On May 25, 2026, rioters obstructed law enforcement from exiting the ICE facility. Officers issued multiple lawful verbal commands for rioters to clear the area. Rioters refused to follow law enforcement commands and continue to obstruct the exit route. Our law enforcement followed their training and used the minimum amount of force necessary to protect themselves, the public, and federal property,” DHS said in a statement. “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.”
DHS blasts New Jersey Democrats over Memorial Day confrontation
The Department of Homeland Security sharply pushed back against accusations made by protesters and Democratic officials.
A DHS spokesperson did not immediately answer questions about which weapons or crowd-control tactics were used Monday and by whom.
However, acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis dismissed the protest movement and political response entirely.
“This is nothing more than a political stunt by New Jersey sanctuary politicians for fundraising clicks,” Bis said in a statement Monday.
Bis also denied reports describing a hunger strike or “subprime conditions” inside Delaney Hall.
“These sanctuary politicians should be thanking ICE law enforcement for removing murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and drug traffickers from their communities,” she added.
The comments reflected the increasingly aggressive tone surrounding immigration enforcement battles nationwide as the Trump administration expands deportation operations and Democratic officials intensify opposition.
Hunger strike becomes flashpoint
The demonstrations began after roughly 300 detainees reportedly launched a hunger and labor strike Friday, alleging poor food quality, inadequate medical treatment, and inhumane conditions inside the facility.
Advocates claimed detainees were protesting living conditions and demanding improved treatment. Federal officials disputed those characterizations.
Tensions intensified further when ICE officials transferred Martin Alonso Soto Hernandez — described by activists as one of the strike’s leaders — to the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility.
Protesters reportedly attempted to block the transfer vehicle both Sunday and Monday.
Governor denied entry to detention facility
Gov. Sherrill added another layer of controversy after announcing she was denied access to Delaney Hall during an attempted visit Monday.
DHS later characterized the governor’s appearance as a “political stunt on Memorial Day.”
The incident quickly fueled partisan reactions online, with critics accusing Democratic officials of prioritizing immigration activism over public order and using the confrontation as a national political messaging opportunity.
Supporters of the demonstrations, meanwhile, argued the politicians were standing up for detainee rights and demanding transparency from federal authorities.
Political battle likely to intensify
The Delaney Hall confrontation now appears poised to become another flashpoint in the broader national fight over immigration enforcement, sanctuary policies, and the role Democratic officials play in opposing federal ICE operations.
For Republicans and immigration hardliners, the images from Newark reinforced arguments that Democratic leaders are aligning themselves with activists attempting to obstruct federal law enforcement.
For Democrats and immigration advocates, the events represented what they describe as growing concern over detainee treatment and aggressive federal enforcement tactics.
Either way, Memorial Day in Newark became less about remembrance and more about a rapidly escalating political and cultural battle playing out directly outside an ICE detention center, led by radical sanctuary state politicians.
