05/28/2026
Huge thanks to Andy Kim for New Jersey U.S. Sen. Andy Kim for his action and witness outside Delaney Hall, where he described civilians tackled and restrained, and agents firing pepper balls and spray into the crowd. Congressional Republicans will soon try to pass a budget bill that would give tens of billions more to ICE and Border Patrol with zero accountability. We cannot normalize this violence, and the lawlessness must end. Please tell your representative to vote against any bill that would inflate their already-massive budget without serious reforms.
My heart broke to see Americans fighting Americans in our streets yesterday. As I saw ICE agents tackling civilians and firing pepper balls into the crowd, I was overwhelmed by how broken we’ve become. We cannot normalize this violence. Here’s what happened at Delaney Hall:
I attempted to gain access to the detention center. GeoGroup guards refused to let me in despite me having ICE approval. I had to call Secretary Mullin directly in order to finally gain access. The GeoGroup manager called me a liar to my face when I said I had difficulty getting in. These for-profit companies are out of control and feel no accountability.
Dozens of detainees told me that they were being threatened with retaliation for their protesting. Said they were told that they would be transferred if they continued protesting. They kept telling me these aren’t empty threats and invoked the name Martin Soto who was transferred out the day before.
The detainees also told me about how the court system for them is a farce. They showed me a document that shows that a single judge has 74 cases before them in one day (about 1 every 5 min). This has caused many of them to be stuck in detention for 10 months or more.
When I exited the center, my staff told me that there’s been a major escalation. I saw a large line of ICE agents staring down a line of protestors. I walked in the space between asking for the head of the ICE contingent. They told me they needed to secure access to the driveway. I told them their tactics are only making matters worse.
Eventually ICE told me they are going to move the armed agents out. I told them they cannot just plow through a crowd of civilians. I asked if we could try and broker an arrangement that would keep people safe. Before I could secure agreement, ICE said they are moving out now. I asked for more time. They started their engines.
The armed agents pushed through the crowd, throwing several people onto the street. I ran over and stood between the ICE convoy and the crowd, trying to keep physical separation to prevent even more serious clashes. The last vehicle had an agent with a pepper ball gun and he started firing at our feet and past me towards the crowd.
The back and forth grew worse as water bottles were thrown and pepper balls and pepper spray was used. I kept yelling “stop.” It doesn’t have to be this way. Finally the vehicles drove away, and all the chaos came to an abrupt hush.
What was left in the aftermath felt surreal. Many walked back towards the main site in a fresh daze. Some were receiving care from medics. I walked over to flush my own eyes as the burning from the pepper spray in my eyes and throat was getting worse.
As I looked out onto hundreds of people still in shock in front of the detention facility, I asked “What’s next?” The violence we saw yesterday could happen again today, or tomorrow. I pray it doesn’t, but all the conditions are there. The tactics of mass transfers and other escalatory actions will only further the tensions.
We need to focus on solving the problem, but here’s what is standing in the way. It would be easy for ICE and GeoGroup to improve the conditions in the detention center. They could hire more doctors, but that’s less profit for GeoGroup. They could have better food or fix the extreme heat, but that’s less profit.
And in a few days, Republicans in the Senate will try and push forward tens of billions of dollars of more money for ICE with zero reforms and accountability. They won’t spend a dollar to help with your health care, grocery bills, or gas. That’s the choice before America right now.
I choose to help people, all of us. I want Americans to voice their outrage as we did after the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Let’s work to stop this legislative giveaway to ICE in the coming weeks. The lawlessness that continues must end. END
