Mullin Challenges Democrats on ICE Enforcement After Memorial Day Protest
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has challenged Democratic officials to support the detention of illegal immigrants following heated Memorial Day weekend protests at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. The confrontation, which saw federal agents deploy pepper spray against demonstrators and left Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.) pepper-sprayed, has escalated the national debate over immigration enforcement and detention conditions.
Context: A Facility at the Center of Controversy
Delaney Hall, a former county jail repurposed as a federal immigration detention center, has been a flashpoint since the Trump administration awarded GEO Group a 15-year, $1 billion contract in February 2025 to reopen the facility. According to NorthJersey.com, the 1,196-bed center began housing detainees on May 1, 2025, and has since faced repeated allegations of substandard conditions, legal battles with the city of Newark, and multiple incidents of unrest.
In June 2025, detainees rioted over food shortages, and four individuals escaped before being apprehended. The Guardian reported that detainees pushed down a wall during the uprising. In December 2025, Jean Wilson Brutus, a 41-year-old Haitian national, died at the facility one day after arrival, with ICE citing “suspected natural causes.”
The Hunger Strike and Protests
On May 15, 2026, 288 detainees signed a letter detailing allegations of inadequate food, medical neglect, and unsafe conditions. By May 22, approximately 300 detainees launched a hunger and labor strike. According to TIME, detainees reported finding live worms in their meals and crowding in non-air-conditioned rooms. The strikers called for the release of innocent detainees and for immigration judges to attend to their cases.
Protests escalated outside the facility over Memorial Day weekend. Demonstrators formed human chains blocking entrances, and federal agents in riot gear arrived to clear the area. Senator Andy Kim, who had been attempting to defuse the situation, was caught in the clashes and pepper-sprayed. “What we saw here is unfortunately just what we see all over the country,” Kim told local news outlet NJ.com. “It’s sad, it’s a sad day.”
Mullin’s Response: “Political Stunt”
Secretary Mullin, who served as a U.S. Senator from Oklahoma before his appointment to lead DHS, forcefully rejected the allegations of poor conditions and accused Democratic officials of staging a “political stunt.” In a series of posts on X, Mullin wrote, “There is NO hunger strike at Delaney Hall. There are no subprime conditions.”
According to Fox News, Mullin specifically called out Governor Mikie Sherrill, Senator Cory Booker, Senator Andy Kim, and Representatives Rob Menendez and Nellie Pou. “Dozens of New Jersey sanctuary politicians chose to spend their Memorial Day weekend smearing ICE law enforcement,” Mullin wrote. “They should be thanking our law enforcement for removing these murderers, pedophiles, rapists and drug traffickers from their state.”
Democratic Officials Condemn Conditions
Governor Mikie Sherrill attempted to gain access to Delaney Hall on Memorial Day but was denied entry. She posted on X that the refusal “raised even more questions about what they are trying to hide from public view.” Sherrill has long opposed the facility, stating, “I have long opposed private detention facilities and will continue to advocate for the closure of Delaney Hall.”
Representative LaMonica McIver, who visited the facility on May 18, confirmed the detainees’ allegations. “Still the same conditions, but worse,” McIver said. “People are still not getting adequate food, and they’re not getting adequate medical care.” Senator Cory Booker called the conditions “deplorable” and vowed to visit the facility again.
DHS Defends Facility Conditions
The Department of Homeland Security issued a press release on May 25 denying allegations of poor conditions, stating that detainees receive three meals daily evaluated by certified dietitians, clean water, clothing, bedding, and access to medical care. “In fact, ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens,” DHS stated.
A GEO Group spokesperson defended the company’s record, saying they were “proud of the role our company has played for 40 years to support the law enforcement mission” of ICE, highlighting around-the-clock medical care, legal and family visitation, and dietician-approved meals.
Broader Implications
The standoff at Delaney Hall reflects the deepening partisan divide over immigration enforcement under the Trump administration’s second term. New Jersey has enacted several laws limiting cooperation with ICE, including barring the agency from using state property for raids and restricting state and local police from participating in federal immigration enforcement. The federal government has sued New Jersey over these policies.
For Mullin, the confrontation reinforces his hardline immigration stance. For Sherrill and New Jersey Democrats, it bolsters their credentials with the progressive base and could influence the upcoming New Jersey gubernatorial race, in which Newark Mayor Ras Baraka—who was arrested at Delaney Hall in May 2025—is a candidate.
What to Watch For
Key questions remain unanswered: Will an independent investigation into conditions at Delaney Hall be conducted? How will the federal lawsuit against New Jersey’s sanctuary policies resolve? And what is the current medical status of the hunger-striking detainees? The New York Post noted that it was not immediately known if any arrests were made during the Memorial Day protests. As both sides dig in, Delaney Hall appears poised to remain a symbol of the broader battle over immigration enforcement in America.