Something to hide? ICE under fire for substandard conditions at for-profit detention center
Senator Andy Kim was at the ICE detention center in Newark on Thursday, stepping in between demonstrators and a reported hunger strike in the facility’s Delaney Hall. The 30‑year‑old New Jersey Democrat had to call former Senate colleague and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to gain permission to enter the complex, which is a 1,000‑bed capacity center for immigrant detainees.
Kim posted a series of short video clips on Facebook that highlighted personal stories he said were driving the protest. “An 18‑year‑old high‑school student who just wants to graduate,” he recorded, “a woman who had a miscarriage and is left to manage everything on her own,” and “a mother who can’t spend more than a few minutes with her four‑month‑old baby.” He concluded, “Our government should focus on helping Americans afford their lives, not lock people up in for‑profit detention centers.”
While standing between the ICE agents and the crowd, Kim was sprayed with tear gas. Medics were on hand and later photographed washing the senator’s eyes. The agents’ use of chemical irritants has been the subject of criticism from civil‑rights groups and lawmakers alike.
New Jersey’s new governor, Democrat Mikie Sherrill, also arrived at the center that day. According to Sherrill, she was denied entry, and she told reporters that the stories she heard from families and advocates were “heartbreaking.” She echoed concerns that detainees have complained about spoiled food and lack of adequate medical care.
Secretary Mullin, who has been in office since March, took a very different tone. “There is no hunger strike and no sub‑standard conditions at the center,” he said. “We should be thanking our law‑enforcement agents for removing murderers, pedophiles, rapists and drug traffickers from our state.” Mullin also criticized Sherrill and other New Jersey Democrats, labeling their statements as “smearing ICE law‑enforcement.”
Mullin, who was confirmed on a tight timeline during the Trump administration, has already implemented a number of reforms at ICE. He has restored the agency’s standard 72‑day training program, which had been cut to 47 days for new agents in recent years, and has required agents to obtain a search warrant before entering private homes. At his confirmation hearing he said, “My goal in six months is that we’re not in the lead story every single day,” reflecting a desire to reduce the agency’s high‑profile scrutiny ahead of the midterm elections.
The Delaney Hall center has been the focus of several complaints in the past year. Families of detainees have reported spoiled food and medical neglect, while the facility’s conditions have been called into question by a hunger strike that the agency denies has taken place. An attorney recently noted that one judge was assigned 74 cases in a single day, a detail that underscores the pressure on the federal court system over immigration matters.
The use of tear gas on a sitting U.S. senator drew sharp criticism from the Senate Minority Leader and from civil‑rights advocates. “Shooting a senator with tear gas is a violation of the Constitution,” one spokesperson said. The incident has also prompted calls for a federal investigation into the conduct of ICE agents at Delaney Hall.
ICE has struggled to keep up with the flow of detainees. With a maximum capacity of roughly 1,000 individuals, the center has been cited for overcrowding. The agency also faces allegations that some agents are still awaiting full payment or a promised $50,000 sign‑up bonus, adding to morale issues among the workforce.
The incident has reignited debate over federal immigration enforcement, the treatment of detainees in ICE facilities, and the balance between law‑enforcement authority and civil‑rights protections. For now, the focus remains on whether the federal government can ensure that the detention center is inspected regularly by state officials and that the concerns raised by families and advocates are addressed in a timely manner.