The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has indicated that House Democrats could face arrest following their attempt to visit Delaney Hall, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in New Jersey.
Three Democratic representatives from New Jersey—Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and Lamonica McQuiber—tried to access Delaney Hall.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin mentioned during a CNN broadcast that there have been multiple arrests and suggested that more could follow. “We should inform viewers that additional arrests are likely,” she stated.
McLaughlin claimed that they possess body camera footage showing members of Congress behaving aggressively towards ICE officers, including an incident involving contact with female officers. “We’ll be sharing that footage soon,” she added.
When asked for clarity by CNN anchor Victor Blackwell, McLaughlin acknowledged that the situation is under investigation and said further actions were indeed possible.
ICE officials accused Coleman, Menendez, and McQuiber of pushing through a crowd outside the facility. However, Coleman refuted these claims, asserting that they were inaccurately portraying the events. “DHS needs to correct their falsehoods,” she remarked, explaining that a confrontation arose only after an ICE agent physically pushed her.
She emphasized that their entry was lawful, with appropriate security escort during their visit, contradicting claims of violence. A New Jersey representative pointed out that Congress members have the legal right to oversee DHS facilities without prior notice, having made two such visits this year.
“The idea that my colleagues and I threatened an armed federal officer is absurd. DHS is lying because they’re aware of the situation’s realities,” Coleman stated. “Their claims stem from a need to distract from indefensible actions. They can issue threats, but at the end of the day, the truth remains,” she concluded.
The Trump administration has threatened to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities that do not cooperate with federal immigration policies, despite a judicial ruling blocking such moves.
The New Jersey detention center at Delaney Hall is set to proceed with a $1 billion contract with Geo Group, a private company that manages numerous prisons across the country, aiming to facilitate substantial deportations.
