Fox News host Jesse Watters called out the “ruse” in claims about detainees at a New Jersey ICE detention facility who are allegedly not getting proper care.
In a segment on Thursday’s edition of “The Five,” Watters reacted to reports that some of the immigrants being detained at Delaney Hall in Newark are on a hunger strike due to alleged inhumane conditions and treatment at the facility. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin explained in a White House cabinet meeting this week that the small number of detainees holding a hunger strike were protesting specific meals they had received.
Mullin said there was “only a handful of individuals that were refusing to eat because they want their ethnic group or their ethnic right food. Well, they can go back to their country and get whatever food they want. The fact is, we’re giving them the calories they want; this isn’t Holiday Inn.”
“It’s not Epcot, Jessica!” @JesseBWatters rips libs for DEMANDING ethnic🍽️🍽️ 🍽️ at ICE detention center pic.twitter.com/3KugpO340h
— The Five (@TheFive) May 28, 2026
“They are getting more healthcare than they have ever gotten in their lives,” Watters pointed out during “The Five” discussion on Thursday after Tarlov claimed that “privately run prisons do a crap job at this and treat people worse” than state or federally-run facilities.
“They get around-the-clock mental health care, dental care, medical care, and they get three squares. Now this hunger strike, Jessica,” he continued, addressing liberal co-host Jessica Tarlov, “because they don’t have ethnic food, what do we want? Chicken chimichangas? Chalupas? Pico de mayo– de gallo? Does the Jamaican in there for homicide, does he get jerk chicken?”
“It’s not EPCOT, Jessica. It’s a ICE detention facility,” he said, referring to the theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort known for its global and cultural themed attractions.
“If an American was held on immigration charges in Mexico, would he demand pizza and French fries? No, he’d get tacos. These people are ridiculous,” Watters fumed.
“There’s no maggots; that was made up by lawyers who we pay for. This is a ruse by immigration lawyers that are paid for by the taxpayer so they can create a drama to bill more. Don’t you get it? They leak it to the press. They send Cory Booker out there. And it becomes a whole thing where they get paid more,” he added.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) visited the facility where protests have been going on for days and claimed that detainees are given small food portions that “very often” contain maggots.
Watters found plenty of agreement on social media.
Send them “home”—they can have all the ethnic food they want and make their own country great!
— RiceMice (@RiceMice448378) May 28, 2026
This is tantamount to someone breaking in your house and saying you have no gluten-free options.
— Rick Rascati (@RickRascati) May 28, 2026
I don’t hear them complaining about Rikers or any other prison holding Americans who broke the law. Even in the military you don’t get to dictate what kind of food you get served and I would demand pictures of these alleged maggots
— Richard Brown 🇺🇸🇮🇪🇩🇪 (@Richard29563675) May 28, 2026
Ya break the law and you don’t get to make food demands. They should be getting mush. They snuck in the country and broke the law. Often times with egregious crimes. They can suck it
— Lovemaui (@1040joyce) May 28, 2026
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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