ICE Pepper-Sprays Senator at Delaney Hall as NJ Governor Denied Entry Amid Detainee Hunger Strike
Over Memorial Day weekend 2026, more than 300 detainees at Delaney Hall — a 1,000-bed private ICE detention facility in Newark, NJ operated by GEO Group — launched a hunger and labor strike protesting spoiled food, inadequate medical care, and lack of due process. New Jersey lawmakers attempted oversight visits and were blocked from entering; on May 26, Sen. Andy Kim was pepper-sprayed by ICE agents in riot gear as he tried to de-escalate clashes between protesters and officers outside the facility. Governor Mikie Sherrill was formally denied entry when she attempted to inspect the facility on May 25. Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. Rob Menendez, Rep. LaMonica McIver, and Rep. Frank Pallone also visited and condemned conditions. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin flatly denied a hunger strike was occurring and accused the lawmakers of staging a "political stunt" for "fundraising clicks."