A chaotic confrontation unfolded Monday outside a federal immigration detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents used chemical irritants on protesters and Sen. Andy Kim during a demonstration tied to conditions inside the center.
The unrest took place outside Delaney Hall, an immigrant detention facility where several detainees are reportedly engaged in a hunger strike to protest living conditions. Demonstrators gathered outside the facility throughout the day, raising concerns about treatment inside the center and demanding greater access and transparency from federal authorities.
According to NJ.com, Kim attempted to calm tensions between protesters and federal agents as the situation became increasingly volatile. Witnesses said the New Jersey Democrat tried to broker an understanding between both sides in hopes of preventing the standoff from spiraling further out of control.
But the scene quickly deteriorated.
Sen. Andy Kim gets his eyes washed out by “medics” after getting between clashing federal agents and far left agitators blocking the entrance to Delaney Hall immigration detention center in NJ pic.twitter.com/kgwySgWs6F
— Elaad Eliahu (@elaadeliahu) May 25, 2026
As agents moved to push the crowd back, authorities began firing projectiles containing chemical irritants into the gathering. Kim reportedly stepped between the advancing agents and demonstrators, raising his arms in what appeared to be an effort to stop the escalation before he himself was struck by the effects of the spray.
“It’s just burning,” Kim said afterward while reacting to the chemicals.
Video later posted online showed the senator receiving assistance following the incident as protesters regrouped outside the facility.
“What we saw here is unfortunately just what we see all over the country,” Kim told NJ.com after the confrontation. “It’s sad, it’s a sad day.”
The clash once again placed a spotlight on the increasingly tense atmosphere surrounding immigration enforcement and detention operations across the country, particularly as protests and political confrontations continue to intensify. While federal officials maintain that detention facilities are necessary to enforce immigration law and preserve order, critics argue that conditions inside some centers have fueled mounting outrage and unrest.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill also appeared at the facility Monday but was reportedly denied entry. Delaney Hall can house as many as 1,000 inmates.
According to The New York Times, Sherrill said she had spoken with relatives of detainees who alleged inmates were being served spoiled food and receiving inadequate medical treatment while held inside the center.
“No matter what your immigration status is, you shouldn’t be treated with anything less than dignity in this country,” Sherrill said.
The detention facility has already been the focus of controversy over the past year. In June of last year, four detainees escaped the facility during what officials described as a revolt tied to complaints over food conditions.
The month before that incident, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested outside the facility amid another confrontation involving elected officials and demonstrators.
At the same time, Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez Jr., and LaMonica McIver attempted to gain entry into Delaney Hall, arguing congressional oversight authority gave them the right to inspect the site.
McIver was later indicted on charges of interfering with federal officers and has pleaded not guilty.
Monday’s confrontation underscored how immigration enforcement battles are increasingly spilling into public confrontations involving elected officials, activists, and federal authorities — another sign of a country struggling to balance border security, public order, and basic human dignity without allowing tensions to boil over into outright conflict.
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