A US senator says he was pepper-sprayed during a rally held in support of detainees in New Jersey
US federal agents have used tear gas against protesters outside the immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey after days of unrest.
The rally was held on Monday in solidarity with detainees reportedly staging a hunger strike at the Delaney Hall facility.
A sweeping immigration enforcement campaign launched by US President Donald Trump shortly after taking office has led to thousands of arrests across the country. Public support for the crackdown has steadily declined, with most Americans saying the tactics used by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) go too far, becoming increasingly violent and, in some cases, deadly.
Videos circulating online show federal agents using pepper-ball projectiles to disperse the crowd. Democratic US Senator Andy Kim can be seen standing between protesters and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents surrounding a detained individual as an armored vehicle is passing by.
@njdotcom Federal agents fired upon protesters outside Delaney Hall in Newark using what appeared to be pepper balls following days of unrest at the privately run ICE jail. U.S. Sen. Andy Kim can be seen in the video standing between protesters and ICE agents during an arrest. Kim later said he was caught in a cloud of pepper spray in the melee. 🎥 Jelani Gibson
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Kim later told local media that he was caught in a cloud of pepper spray in the melee. Another video circulating online show mutual aid volunteers pouring water into Kim’s eyes while he holds an ice pack in his hand.
The DHS said in a statement later on Monday that no one was “directly struck by pepper ball projectiles.” The agency noted that “rioters obstructed law enforcement from exiting” the facility and officers “issued multiple lawful verbal commands for rioters to clear the area.”
According to protesters, inmates at Delaney Hall had organized the hunger strike against inhumane conditions, including poor-quality food and subpar medical care.
US Representative Rob Menendez, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, and other Democratic New Jersey officials are demanding that the facility be shut down over the complaints. The officials visited the detention center over the weekend, where eventually members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation were allowed to enter.
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