The familiar frustration of shooing away gnats at a summer barbecue offers a fitting image for the political tensions surrounding ICE enforcement as Father’s Day gatherings approach this weekend.
Those tensions have been especially visible outside Delaney Hall, the detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, where protesters and ICE agents have clashed in recent weeks. RedState’s Nick Arama reported on disturbances that unfolded over two nights in late May:
According to the report, confrontations broke out several times on Monday, May 26, between federal agents and activists. One escalation reportedly followed an incident in which an agent was struck or targeted with an umbrella, prompting officers to pursue a suspect. Pepper spray was also used as authorities attempted to control the crowd.
Arama noted that the Department of Homeland Security ultimately took two people into custody. Still, the standoff appears unlikely to end there, as the protest presence outside the facility has continued to grow, including an encampment with a level of organization and amenities more commonly associated with sustained activist demonstrations.
The demonstrations have also drawn Democratic officials from New Jersey, including U.S. Sen. Andy Kim. Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and members of the state’s congressional delegation also sought access to Delaney Hall but were denied entry.
I’m back at Delaney Hall with @GovSherrillNJ and other members of the NJ delegation to meet with families of detainees and listen to community advocates. We’re working together to make sure they’re heard and to speak out with them.⁰⁰Delaney Hall must be shut down immediately.… pic.twitter.com/Zi6Om5rq1C
— Senator Andy Kim (@SenatorAndyKim) May 25, 2026
As Arama shared, reporting in May noted that Kim only got in because he personally spoke with Homeland Security (DHS) Sec. Markwayne Mullin in advance for permission:
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said Kim personally called Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and that he was allowed in the facility to conduct his congressional oversight responsibilities.
