Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) added her voice Monday to a growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers condemning federal immigration agents following a tense confrontation outside Delaney Hall, a detention facility in Newark, New Jersey.
Rep. Grijalva posted on X that a U.S. senator had been pepper-sprayed while attempting to conduct oversight at the facility, where detainees have reportedly been staging a hunger strike over deteriorating conditions.
"If ICE is willing to use force against elected officials and protestors asking questions, imagine what's happening behind closed doors to everyone else," she wrote, calling for Delaney Hall's immediate closure.
The senator in question was Andy Kim (D-NJ), who confirmed Monday that he had been exposed to a chemical irritant during the demonstration. Sen. Kim had gone to the facility alongside Governor Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) to meet with relatives of detainees and assess conditions firsthand.
After emerging from a tour inside the facility, he said he encountered a tense standoff between protesters and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, who had reportedly deployed an armored vehicle near the entrance.
How The Situation Escalated
Additionally, reports indicate that Kim had positioned himself between the two sides to prevent the situation from escalating. His efforts were unsuccessful.
ICE agents ultimately moved through the crowd using pepper spray and pepper ball projectiles, and Kim was caught in the chaos. He told reporters his eyes and throat were still burning hours later.
The confrontation stemmed from a dispute over the planned transfer of Martin Soto, a detainee who had organized the hunger strike to protest what demonstrators described as inadequate food, denied medical care, and broken air conditioning.
The Department of Homeland Security said Soto was ultimately moved to a nearby facility and attributed the violence to "rioters" who had refused lawful commands to clear the area.
However, Grijalva dismissed that, describing the response to peaceful oversight as shameful. She said she stands with all those demanding transparency and accountability at the facility.
