A Democrat interloper was pepper-sprayed by immigration authorities while interfering with their efforts to contain far-left agitators and rioters.
Sen. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, appeared at the Delaney Hall illegal alien detention center in Newark on Monday to join far-left rioters who were “protesting” the allegedly inhumane conditions at the facility.
“[Rioters] were seen blocking unmarked government vehicles and, at some point, were part of a skirmish with armed, masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents,” according to CNN.
These are not peaceful protesters at the Delaney Hall ICE Detention Center.
These are anarchists, paid to cause trouble and destruction on federal property.
I thought Trump had designated these thugs as domestic terrorists? pic.twitter.com/HZzn1lzl27
— Gina Milan (@ginamilan_) May 26, 2026
“Rioters refused to follow law enforcement commands and continue to obstruct the exit route,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added in a statement. “Our law enforcement followed their training and used the minimum amount of force necessary to protect themselves, the public, and federal property.”
According to NJ.com, Kim at one point “tried to broker” what one might call a peace deal between the rioters and federal agents. Except it was a very lopsided deal that called for immigration authorities to back off and allow the rioters to inspect cars leaving Delaney Hall to determine if illegal aliens were inside them.
The peace-dealing didn’t appear to work, as federal agents were forced to push the crowd of rioters further back using pepper spray. Kim then purposefully “stepped between” them and the rioters while putting his arms up in a “stop” motion. That’s when he was hit by the pepper spray.
“I ran up and put myself between the ICE officers and the crowd, and that’s when they started to shoot at us with the pepper balls — as well as using the pepper spray — and were tackling people,” Kim recalled to NJ.com.
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
Kim later cried to the media about what happened.
“What we saw here is unfortunately just what we see all over the country,” he told NJ.com. “It’s sad. It’s a sad day.”
He did at least have the decency to admit why the immigration agents had opened fire on the crowd — because some rioters “were throwing water bottles.”
He also took his complaints to social media.
“I saw chaos inside and outside of the ICE detention center Delaney Hall today,” he wrote on X. “Instead of engaging with me and others about the poor conditions, ICE sent in an armored vehicle and a line of armed agents that only poured gasoline on the fire.”
“Civilians were tackled and restrained, and agents fired pepper balls and spray into the crowd. This is more of the same lawlessness we’ve seen elsewhere around the country,” he added.
In another post, he called for Delaney Hall to be shuttered:
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
In a statement to NJ.com, DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis dismissed all of Kim’s complaints.
“This is nothing more than a political stunt by New Jersey sanctuary politicians for fundraising clicks,” she said. “These sanctuary politicians should be thanking ICE law enforcement for removing murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and drug traffickers from their communities.”
Meanwhile, Republican state Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia blasted the so-called “protesters” for piling up “concrete chunks and construction debris to block access and prevent” vehicles from leaving the facility.
“You cannot shove, threaten, or physically interfere with federal agents,” she added in a tweet. “We are so tired of being told not to believe what we’re watching with our own eyes.”
🎦LIGHTS, CAMERA…ACTIVISTS
We are so tired of being told not to believe what we’re watching with our own eyes.You cannot pile up concrete chunks and construction debris to block access & prevent egress. You cannot shove, threaten, or physically interfere with federal agents.… https://t.co/S9YC2PUAoD
— Dawn Fantasia (@DawnFantasia_NJ) May 26, 2026
The latter remark was likely a reference to the media’s habit of labeling far-left riots as “peaceful protests.”
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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