NJ Gov Sherrill Blasted for Memorial Day ICE Facility ‘Stunt’
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill was denied entry to a Newark immigration detention facility on Memorial Day amid protests, with federal authorities calling it a publicity stunt.
Governor Mikie Sherrill was denied entry to Delaney Hall on Monday while demonstrators surrounded the facility, which has been the site of an ongoing hunger and labor strike among detainees now in its fourth day, according to New York Post.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson rejected Sherrill’s visit outright, telling media that visitation is currently suspended due to riots outside the facility. The official said approximately 125 agitators encircled Delaney Hall Detention Facility on Sunday, many brandishing anti-ICE signage and Antifa flags.
Protesters formed human chains around building entrances and erected barricades that blocked all access points to the federal immigration center, authorities said.
The governor’s arrival came after fellow New Jersey Democrats, including Senator Andy Kim and Representative Rob Menendez, successfully toured the detention center over the weekend.
Social media footage shows Sherrill standing at a locked gate topped with razor wire while a crowd of supporters chanted for her admission. Additional video from the scene captured demonstrators seated across the main roadway in defiance of federal agents, while a larger contingent of protesters confronted authorities with chants opposing immigration enforcement.
Federal officials have not confirmed whether any arrests were made during the confrontation.
Tensions at the Newark facility have escalated as the detainee protest enters its fifth day, with inmates refusing food and work assignments.
With information from New York Post
