Senator Kim Caught in Tear Gas at NJ ICE Protest

NJ’s Kim is caught in tear gas cloud outside detention facility A US senator is speaking out after being caught in a cloud of tear gas deployed by federal agents outside a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in his home state of New Jersey. Democratic Sen Andy Kim was seen being given medical attention on-scene Monday outside of Delaney Hall, in Newark. Kim was at the facility Monday. He and other Garden State Democratic officials — including Gov Mikie Sherrill and Rep Rob Menendez — are demanding the closure of Delaney Hall, which has been the site of ongoing protests over the conditions inside. Thanks for reading The Washington Current! This post is public so feel free to share it. New Jersey officials arrived at Delaney Hall over the weekend, where eventually members of the state’s congressional delegation were allowed to enter. The poor conditions described at Delaney Hall are similar to those being reported at such immigration facilities across the country. Kim was trying to help control a chaotic scene outside the detention facility when federal agents fired tear gas. “It’s just burning,” he said, referring to his lungs as he received first aid after the ordeal. This, according to news accounts at the scene. Kim described the situation on social media later in the day. I saw chaos inside and outside of the ICE detention center Delaney Hall today. Detainees protesting the lack of due process, the disgusting food and poor treatment while their families and advocates stood outside calling for help. Instead of engaging with me and others about the poor conditions, ICE sent in an armored vehicle and a line … “I saw chaos inside and outside of the ICE detention center Delaney Hall today. Detainees protesting the lack of due process, the disgusting food and poor treatment while their families and advocates stood outside calling for help,” he wrote. “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. The Washington Current is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. “Our country deserves accountability. Our country deserves the humane treatment of every person here. In fact, our Constitution demands this. What I witnessed and experienced today was shameful,” Kim added. “Delaney Hall is a failure; it’s this administration’s failure. The only way to make this right for our communities is to shut it down and make sure the failures we’ve seen never happen again.“