Department of Homeland Security Criticizes New Jersey Democrats

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a stern statement on Monday, taking aim at several officials from New Jersey’s Democratic Party. They accused these lawmakers of orchestrating political maneuvers and disseminating misleading information regarding the treatment of detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities during the Memorial Day weekend.

This official response came after claims from local lawmakers who alleged that hundreds of detainees at Newark’s Delaney Hall Detention Center had initiated a mass hunger strike to protest what they described as inhumane and unconstitutional conditions.

In a statement from federal authorities, they outright denied the existence of any hunger strikes or poor conditions at the facility. Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Biss characterized the actions of the lawmakers as merely a fundraising effort aimed at gaining online attention instead of genuine oversight.

Biss made it clear that there is no ongoing hunger strike at Delaney Hall and stated that the facility maintains the highest standards. All detainees, according to the department, receive clean water, adequate clothing, bedding, and three daily meals that are nutritionally assessed.

The political tension escalated into chaotic violence outside the detention center on Monday afternoon. ICE officers, equipped with riot gear, were compelled to deploy pepper balls and batons against a crowd of protesters. The situation intensified as far-left activists formed a human chain to block federal transport vans from entering and exiting.

Senator Andy Kim faced pepper spray during the clashes and was treated by volunteers. He, along with Governor Mikie Sherrill, Senator Cory Booker, and Representative Rob Menendez, attempted an independent oversight visit but were denied entry by federal officials.

Sherrill stirred up anger and concern among protesters by questioning what government agencies might be hiding from the public. This sentiment quickly turned into a rallying cry for the crowd.

DHS leaders responded to lawmakers’ calls to permanently close Delaney Hall, recently reopened under a contract with GEO Group, by emphasizing the criminal backgrounds of undocumented immigrants slated for eviction. Secretary Markwayne Mullin also raised questions about whether “sanctuary politicians” would rather see convicted criminals in their own neighborhoods than work with federal authorities.

Additionally, the DHS claimed that the political narrative depicting immigration enforcement as reckless endangers its officers. The agency pointed to a significant increase—over 1,300 percent—in physical assaults against ICE officers nationwide, attributing this to ongoing vilification from left-wing politicians.