Full Breakdown
Senator Andy Kim Pepper-Sprayed During Delaney Hall Protest
5/27/2026, 10:15:48 PM
Core Event: Pepper-Spray Incident at Delaney Hall
On Monday, May 25 2026 (Memorial Day), Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Governor Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) joined roughly 125 demonstrators outside Delaney Hall, a privately-run immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey. Protesters blocked an exit and refused orders to disperse. Kim attempted to broker a truce, ran between ICE agents and the crowd, and raised his arms to de-escalate. ICE agents then deployed pepper-spray and pepper-ball projectiles; Kim was caught in the spray, reported eye and throat irritation, and was struck in the hand. Video shows medics treating him on site, and his state director was also affected.
Background & Context: History of Delaney Hall Controversies
Delaney Hall opened in May 2025 with a capacity of 1,000 beds and currently holds about 300 detainees. Within weeks of opening, detainees staged a food-related revolt, four escaped in June 2025, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested outside, and Rep. LaMonica McIver was later indicted for interfering with federal officers during a congressional oversight visit. Allegations of inadequate food, medical care, and hunger strikes have persisted.
Key Figures & Groups
- Andy Kim – U.S. Senator, protest leader, calls for facility shutdown.
- Mikie Sherrill – Governor of New Jersey, present at protest, denied entry.
- ICE – Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents managing the detention center.
- DHS – Department of Homeland Security, overseeing ICE; spokesperson Lauren Bis.
- Detainees – Approximately 300 individuals, including a pregnant woman, a man with stage-three lung cancer, and an 18-year-old high-school senior.
- New Jersey Republicans – Critics accusing Democratic officials of staging a “photo-op.”
Data & Statistics
- Facility capacity: 1,000 beds; current detainee count ? 300.
- Protest size: ? 125 demonstrators.
- DHS claims detainees receive three meals daily, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, toiletries, and 24-hour medical, dental, and mental-health services.
- ICE asserts detainees have phones for family and lawyer contact; meals are evaluated by certified dieticians.
Official Statements & Responses
- DHS: “This includes medical, dental, and mental health services… For many illegal aliens, this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives.”
- Lauren Bis (DHS): Denied any hunger strike, labeled the protest a “political stunt on Memorial Day,” and affirmed that detainees receive adequate provisions.
- ICE officials: Stated detainees get clean water, food, and phones, and described protesters as agitators.
- Governor Sherrill: Emphasized dignity, saying “No matter what your immigration status is, you shouldn’t be treated with anything less than dignity.”
- Senator Kim: Described personal injury, reported spoiled milk and denied medical care for a pregnant woman and a lung-cancer patient, and announced plans to introduce amendments and legislation addressing detention standards.
Criticism & Opposition
New Jersey Republicans accused Kim and Sherrill of staging a holiday photo-op and defended the agents’ actions as “minimum necessary” to protect law-enforcement and federal property. DHS reiterated that the force used was lawful and that obstructing officers constitutes a federal crime. Right-leaning outlets highlighted the claim that protesters were “rioters” and asserted that ICE’s standards exceed those of U.S. prisons.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Hunger strike: Protesters and Kim assert detainees are on hunger strike; DHS and Bis categorically deny any strike.
- Direct impact of pepper balls: DHS claims no individual was struck by projectiles, yet Kim and video evidence show he was hit by spray and possibly a projectile.
- Scope of poor conditions: Kim cites “dozens, if not 100 or more” detainees experiencing inadequate food and medical care; DHS provides no specific numbers.
Verbatim Quotes
- “My eyes were hurting, my throat was burning,” — Andy Kim, U.S. Senator
- “The people inside Delaney Hall are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and members of our community. In New Jersey, we believe in the rule of law and that everyone deserves to be treated with basic dignity.” — Mikie Sherrill, Governor of New Jersey
- “Instead of engaging with me and others about the poor conditions, ICE sent in an armored vehicle and a line of armed agents that only poured gasoline on the fire,” — Andy Kim, U.S. Senator
- “There is NO hunger strike at Delaney Hall. There are NO subprime conditions or abuse at the facility,” — Lauren Bis, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, DHS
- “We talked with dozens, if not 100 or more of the detainees,” — Andy Kim, U.S. Senator
- “The First Amendment protects speech and peaceful assembly — not rioting.” — Department of Homeland Security
What’s Next
Senator Kim plans to introduce amendments targeting detention oversight and to pursue legislation mandating independent inspections of facilities like Delaney Hall. Congressional debate on broader immigration policy continues, with potential hearings on the center’s conditions slated for the coming months. DHS and ICE have indicated ongoing monitoring but have not signaled an imminent shutdown.
