Earlier today, a group of Democratic representatives from New Jersey and the mayor of Newark, NJ, participated in a demonstration outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Newark. During the protest, things took an unexpected turn, according to Ward Clark.
Reps. Rob Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman, and LaMonica McIver, all Democrats from New Jersey, entered the ICE Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark. They were stopped at the first checkpoint and not allowed to proceed further, as confirmed by Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin speaking to Fox News.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expressed concern over the incident, stating that the actions of these Congress members posed a risk to the safety of law enforcement officers and detainees. The DHS emphasized that members of Congress are not exempt from the law and cannot unlawfully enter detention facilities. They mentioned that if the representatives had requested a tour, it would have been arranged for them, highlighting the ongoing nature of the situation.
Here’s the fun bit:
The prison currently holds alleged killers, MS-13 gang members, child rapists, among other criminal offenders.
The lawmakers were outside the facility with a group of protesters when the gates opened to allow an ICE bus in. The lawmakers then rushed through the gates and past security, DHS said.
Clark added that the mayor of Newark,
