White House, DHS blast Dems for storming ICE detention center in NJ

Escalating from open borders to open detention facilities, Garden State politicians embarked on a “bizarre political stunt” Friday that the White House contended had crossed a line.

The America last policies of the left have continued throughout President Donald Trump’s second term in the form of rabid protests against the responsible use of taxpayer money, protection of girls’ and women’s spaces, and the removal of violent illegal aliens from the country. The latter took center stage Friday when Newark, New Jersey’s mayor wound up in handcuffs for “crossing the line between meaningless political street theatre and outright breaking the law.”

Before later being released, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D), a gubernatorial candidate, was arrested as he joined New Jersey Democratic Reps. LaMonica McIver, Rob Menendez Jr., and Bonnie Watson Coleman in allegedly storming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Delaney Hall Detention Center in the city he leads.

White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai released a statement that read, “As always, Democrats are prioritizing the welfare of illegal aliens over American citizens — except now they’re crossing the line between meaningless political street theatre and outright breaking the law.”

Activists, including the elected officials, have claimed the building’s new owner, GEO Group, has been preventing an inspection of the facility in violation of the law — a point the company refuted.

Maintaining focus on who the politicians were standing up for, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin had posted to X, “In a bizarre political stunt, as a bus of detainees entered the security gate of Delaney Hall Detention Center, a group of protestors, including 2 members of US Congress, stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility. The members, Robert Menendez Jr. and Bonnie Watson Coleman [and] multiple protestors holed up in a guard shack, the first security check point.”

“This illegal breaking and entering of a detention facility puts the safety of our law enforcement agents and the detainees at risk,” she went on. “Members of Congress are not above the law and cannot illegally break into detention facilities. Had these members requested a tour, we would have facilitated a tour of the facility. This is an evolving situation.”

In a bizarre political stunt, as a bus of detainees entered the security gate of Delaney Hall Detention Center, a group of protestors, including 2 members of US Congress, stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility. The members, Robert Menendez Jr. and Bonnie Watson… https://t.co/b5n31liNa4

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) May 9, 2025

Worth noting, Rep. Menendez is the son of former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, who, with his wife Nadine Menendez, was convicted in a bribery scheme that used his position when he was chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations to advance the interests of the Egyptian government.

The former senator received an 11-year prison sentence.

Later Friday, McLaughlin appeared on Fox News where she told host Will Cain, “There’s been for days protests outside of this ICE facility … which was open just in May. So it’s very recent. It houses MS-13 gang members. It houses rapists, child predators, an MS-13 gang member, even a suspected terrorist. So these are really the worst of the worst in this facility.”

Likewise, DHS shared some of the identities of those being held at the facility, highlighting their illegal alien status, gang affiliations and convictions that included drug trafficking and weapons possession, along with allegations of obstruction, assault and homicide.

Delaney Hall Detention Center houses the WORST OF THE WORST!

This stunt by sanctuary lawmakers puts the safety of our law enforcement agents and detainees at risk.@TriciaOhio pic.twitter.com/0NEyyuBnU4

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 9, 2025

Today, as a bus of detainees was entering the security gate of Delaney Hall Detention Center, a group of protestors, including two members of US Congress, stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility. The allegations by Newark politicians that Delaney does not have the…

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 9, 2025

The ICE/ERO Newark Fugitive Operations Unit, NJ encountered SARAVIA SANTAMARIA, a citizen and national of El Salvador, pursuant to Raven operation and known and verified MS-13 gang affiliation. pic.twitter.com/y38Zpku6mv

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 9, 2025

On May 5, 2025, ICE Newark arrested Adonis ESTEVEZ Bello, a 23-year-old citizen of Dominican Republic. ESTEVEZ has multiple felony convictions for possession of a controlled dangerous substance, drug trafficking, resisting arrest, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes.… pic.twitter.com/Oith2Uo4LS

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 9, 2025

Meanwhile, upon Baraka’s release shortly before 8 p.m. Friday, the mayor railed over “due process” as he contended, “We know we’re right. What we ask for is correct.”

He was met with cheers from the activist crowd that included socialist New York City mayoral hopeful, state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D) who told the New York Post, “We have been living in a city where we’ve been told by our mayor that the only way to deal with the Trump administration is through either collaboration or cowardice. And what we’ve seen from Mayor Baraka is this statement that he has lived up to, which is that you cannot meet extremism with moderation.”

Mamdani further claimed the Trump administration had demonstrated a “complete disregard for the rule of law” in efforts at restoring national sovereignty, while ICE photos reportedly depicted the mayor showing up to the detention facility “with protesters and a bulldozer.”

Staff Writer

Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn’t researching current events and their impacts, you’ll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.

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