A confrontation erupted Friday at a New Jersey detention center after three Democratic members of Congress and a group of protesters entered the federal immigration facility without authorization, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), accusing the lawmakers of storming the gate and endangering public safety.
In a May 9 statement, DHS officials alleged that two Democratic members of Congress—Reps. Robert Menendez Jr. (D-N.J.) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.)—joined a group of activists in breaching the outer security gate of the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey. Watson Coleman later released a statement saying a third lawmaker was also present.
The group allegedly forced their way into the first checkpoint, occupying a guard shack as a bus carrying detainees entered the facility. DHS said the action was an unlawful breach that endangered law enforcement personnel and detainees—some of whom are suspected murderers, rapists, gang members, and terrorists, according to the agency.
“Members of Congress storming into a detention facility goes beyond a bizarre political stunt and puts the safety of our law enforcement agents and detainees at risk,“ Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. ”Members of Congress are not above the law and cannot illegally break into detention facilities. Had these members requested a tour, we would have facilitated a tour of the facility.”
McLaughlin shared on X a video of the incident showing the commotion at the gate. “A mob (including 3 members of Congress) assaulting our ICE agents as they try to break into an ICE detention facility,” she wrote.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who had been leading protests outside Delaney Hall throughout the week, was arrested during the incident.
Video footage shared with media outlets shows Baraka being handcuffed by officers after a verbal dispute outside the gate. According to witnesses, the confrontation escalated when Baraka attempted to join the congressional delegation in entering the facility but was blocked by federal officials.
“He has willingly chosen to disregard the law,” Interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba said in a statement on X. “That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.”
Baraka, a Democrat who is running to succeed term-limited New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, has been a vocal opponent of Delaney Hall’s reopening and has filed suit against ICE and GEO Group, the private prison operator contracted to run the facility under a $1 billion, 15-year federal agreement. The 1,000-bed center began intake operations on May 1 and is part of a broader Trump administration effort to expand immigration detention capacity nationwide.
In a statement posted to X, Watson Coleman called DHS’s press release “factually inaccurate” and said the lawmakers were lawfully exercising their congressional oversight authority.
“At around 1 pm today, my colleagues @RepLaMonica @RepMenendez and I arrived at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark to exercise our oversight authority as Members of Congress,” Coleman wrote. “Contrary to a press statement put out by DHS we did not ’storm’ the detention center.”
Watson Coleman noted that Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) was also present and criticized DHS for not acknowledging her in its statement. She said the group had been delayed repeatedly at the gate, then eventually escorted inside.
“Reopening Delaney Hall won’t make us safer and it won’t create an immigration system that is fair and secure for all families,” she added. She accused the center of prioritizing profit over justice and due process.
In remarks to news outlets, McLaughlin called Baraka a “sanctuary mayor” whose “political antics” were endangering ICE agents and detainees. She said that Baraka had repeatedly refused to follow standard entry procedures, despite being told he could enter like anyone else if proper protocols were followed.
The Epoch Times has contacted DHS, McLaughlin, and Baraka’s office for comment.
Jack Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Democratic members of Congress—Reps. Robert Menendez Jr. (D-N.J.) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) and the other unnamed Democrat congress member and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka should spend time in jail.
But as usual Democrat elite never are held accountable for their unlawful actions.
IT shouldn’t matter who they are.. IF THEY tried to storm a Detention center, THEY SHOULD BE arrested.
Maybe it was just a confused Democrat criminal fire drill for when these realpolitical criminals get busted and perp walked into a well earned high security prison? Only an insane misgendered DEI confused Democrat criminal would attempt to break INTO not out of a prison.
” SUSPOSE I WAS A idot AND SUSPOSE I WAS A MEMBER OF CONGRESS, BUT I REPEAT MYSELF.” – AUTHOR UNKNOWN
“At around 1 pm today, my colleagues @RepLaMonica @RepMenendez and I arrived at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark to exercise our oversight authority as Members of Congress,”
There is a legal process for that.
YEA< its called put in a request.
“McLaughlin shared on X a video of the incident showing the commotion at the gate. “A mob (including 3 members of Congress) assaulting our ICE agents as they try to break into an ICE detention facility,” she wrote.
Excuse me please. This sounds like a familiar incident from January 6, 2021 in which hundreds of “mob” intruders have been arrested and are still in jail for violating the sanctity of a federal building.
Isn’t this a “federal building”? What time is the indictment of the “three members of congress” happening?
AHH, but those were ‘conservatives’.. AND WERE ‘just plebs”.
THESE ARE the proteletariat, and are dems…
WT#. How is January 6 an insurrection and this is a what ???
The double standard needs to end…. NOW !!!