U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Monday used pepper-spray balls on a crowd of protesters outside Delaney Hall, a privately-run immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, apparently injuring Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.).
“What we saw here is unfortunately just what we see all over the country,” Kim told NJ.com.
The Democratic lawmaker was reportedly attempting to reach an agreement with the officers on Monday to scale down their presence and have immigration advocates, rather than armed ICE agents, inspect any vehicles leaving the facility to check if detainees were inside.
The federal immigration agents began pushing protesters backward instead, firing rounds of pepper-spray balls into the crowd and arresting several people, according to NJ.com. Footage of Kim being treated for the irritant was published on social media.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security told CNN that approximately 125 people had “surrounded” Delaney Hall, forming “a human chain” and “blocking all entries and exits” in protest amid reports of hunger strikes and inhumane conditions.
The department claimed in a later statement on social media that no individuals “were directly struck” by the pepper-spray balls. Kim told NJ.com he had been struck in the hand before inhaling the chemical irritant, causing him to have trouble breathing.
“I ran up and put myself between the ICE officers and the crowd, and that’s when they started to shoot at us with the pepper balls — as well as using the pepper spray — and were tackling people,” Kim told the outlet, noting that his hand “hurts a lot” but that this is “not about me.”
The senator added, “I just wanted to try to keep people safe.”
Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs Lauren Bis on Monday told CNN there is “NO hunger strike” and “NO subprime conditions” inside Delaney Hall, adding “sanctuary politicians” like Kim “should be thanking ICE” for keeping “rapists, murderers, pedophiles and drug traffickers” detained.
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Kim told NJ.com that he called Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who recently appeared confounded that ICE “has been demonized,” to gain access to the facility. Kim said he and his colleague spoke to multiple people experiencing poor conditions and treatment.
“We talked with dozens, if not 100 or more of the detainees,” Kim said Saturday. “Often they were talking about the poor food that they’re getting, really disgusting food, that they’re not getting the medical treatment that they need and deserve.”
He continued, “I talked with a pregnant woman that was not getting the care that she needed. I talked with an 18-year-old high school senior who should be at a school, not in this facility there. This place needs a shutdown, and these people need to be able to get out.”
Mullin on Monday echoed Bis in claiming there are “NO” hunger strikes or “subprime conditions” at Delaney Hall, condemning Democratic lawmakers who spent the weekend “smearing ICE.” Kim reiterated to NJ.com that he spoke to detainees directly, “engaged in this hunger strike.”
He told the outlet, “It’s sad, it’s a sad day.”