By
Nia Prater,
Intelligencer staff writer, who covers New York politics
Delaney Hall, a federal immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, has been the site of escalating clashes in recent days as demonstrators have gathered in support of detainees on a reported hunger strike over poor conditions in the facility, only to be met with force from federal agents. Numerous arrests have taken place, including of nine demonstrators who were taken into custody last Thursday.
New Jersey senator Andy Kim was involved in one of these skirmishes last Monday when he visited the site to conduct oversight and was hit with pepper spray alongside protesters. Kim is just the latest local politician to find himself on the front lines of the fight over Delaney Hall, which was reopened as a detention facility last year. LaMonica McIver, a New Jersey representative, is currently facing federal charges after being accused of assaulting an ICE officer during an attempted oversight visit last year, allegations she denies.
