U.S. Sen. Andy Kim said he was pepper-sprayed outside Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, where protesters had gathered amid a hunger strike by detainees and growing calls from Democratic officials to close the facility.
The confrontation unfolded on Memorial Day outside the privately run detention center, where demonstrators said federal agents used pepper spray and batons during a clash near the facility. ABC reported that the confrontation began around 1 a.m., after relatives and advocates gathered in support of detainees participating in a hunger strike.
Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, was among the elected officials who went to Delaney Hall as tensions escalated. The New Jersey Globe reported that Kim was pepper-sprayed by ICE agents during chaotic clashes outside the complex. Gov. Mikie Sherrill was also denied access to the facility Monday, hours after Kim and other officials had raised concerns about conditions inside.
The protest was organized around the case of Martin Soto, a detainee whose wife, Gabriela Soto, said he had been held at Delaney Hall since February. According to The Guardian, detainees inside the facility had launched a hunger and work strike over conditions, including complaints about poor medical care and treatment. Protesters tried to block Soto's transfer to another facility, chanting "Free Martin!" as tensions grew outside the center.
This photo of Andy Kim in the moments before ICE gassed everyone at Delaney Hall is going into the history books.
— Paul A Dorfner (@DorfnerA) May 26, 2026
We need more of this from our electeds. pic.twitter.com/Sywa9JhVum
The Department of Homeland Security has defended its response, saying protocols were followed and describing some demonstrators as agitators who obstructed entrances and exits. About 125 protesters formed a human chain outside the facility, while Sherrill was denied entry because of safety concerns.
The incident adds to months of controversy surrounding Delaney Hall, which is operated by GEO Group under contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The facility has become a flashpoint in New Jersey's immigration debate, drawing scrutiny from local officials, members of Congress and advocates who say detainees have faced unsafe or inadequate conditions.
Earlier this year, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested during a protest outside the facility, and Rep. LaMonica McIver was later indicted after a confrontation involving federal officials,
Monday's clash also came as the Trump administration continues a broader immigration enforcement push, placing ICE facilities and detention policy at the center of national politics. Supporters of the administration argue that detention centers are necessary to enforce immigration law. Critics say facilities such as Delaney Hall have become symbols of excessive force, poor oversight and the expanding role of private contractors in immigration detention.
