The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reminded Congressional offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility visitation guidelines following a contentious incident at Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey.
The incident involved Democratic Representatives Rob Menendez Jr., LaMonica McIver, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested during the confrontation.
According to a DHS statement, several members of Congress resorted to breaking into the facility and allegedly assaulting ICE agents, actions the department says were unnecessary, as established procedures for facility tours exist.
“Members of Congress cannot break the law in the name of ‘oversight,'” stated Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Secretary Noem respects Congress’s oversight authority and is always willing to accommodate Members seeking to visit ICE detention facilities. However, they are not above the law. All members and staff need to comply with facility rules, procedures, and instructions from ICE personnel on site for their own safety, the safety of the detainees, and the safety of ICE employees.”
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McLaughlin said that if the involved congressional members had followed the proper channels, they would have been readily granted access to Delaney Hall.
“If these three members had simply asked for a tour, these three congressional members would have been easily allowed into Delaney Hall and would not have had to resort to assaulting law enforcement to enter the facility,” she added.
Despite the alleged actions of the Congressional members, the DHS confirmed that they were subsequently given a tour of the facility.
However, Representatives Menendez Jr. and McIver have placed the blame squarely on ICE agents for the “chaos” that unfolded. During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” they claimed that law enforcement “created” the situation.
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CNN host Dana Bash questioned McIver about DHS claims and bodycam footage suggesting she had “body slammed” an officer. “Absolutely no. I mean, I honestly do not know how to body slam anyone. There’s no video that supports me body slamming anyone,” McIver responded. “They created that confrontation, they created that chaos, and then ultimately went to arrest the mayor of the largest city of New Jersey, who is my mayor and my constituent, and it was very difficult to watch that happen, but absolutely, I did not body slam anyone.”
Menendez Jr. echoed McIver’s sentiment, stating, “I think there’s a lot of opportunities for DHS, for ICE to de-escalate the situation. They chose not to. They made this a violent scene that we were unfortunately all a part of, and it’s something that should really shock all Americans.” He emphasized the presence of “over 20 armed ICE HSI officers” with covered faces and no visible identification, arguing that their engagement with the mayor and lawmakers escalated the situation.
The incident began when the lawmakers were held up at an internal checkpoint while visiting the facility. As they stood outside with protesters, the gates opened for an ICE bus, leading to the alleged attempt to rush the gates.
DHS subsequently released bodycam footage of the confrontation on X. Assistant Secretary McLaughlin, in an interview with Fox News, stated that the facility holds alleged MS-13 gang members and other criminals.
Representatives McIver and Coleman’s offices have pushed back on the DHS’s “characterization” of events, maintaining that they were simply performing their oversight duties.
Despite the conflicting accounts, the DHS has reiterated its commitment to facilitating Congressional oversight, provided that established visitation guidelines are followed.
These guidelines include providing advance notice for tours, submitting detainee information and privacy releases for specific meetings, and adhering to security protocols. The DHS has encouraged all Congressional offices to review the full visitation guidance to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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