- US Senator Andy Kim was pepper-sprayed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during a protest outside an immigration detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, on Monday.
- The incident occurred as Senator Kim attempted to de-escalate a tense standoff between protestors and armed ICE agents outside Delaney Hall, where detainees are reportedly on hunger strike over inhumane conditions.
- Senator Kim described his eyes and throat as “burning” after ICE agents used pepper spray and pepper balls to clear a path for an armoured vehicle, also 'tackling people' amid the chaos.
- New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill also attended the protest earlier, hearing complaints from families about spoiled food and inadequate medical care for detainees, but left before the confrontation.
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed officers used minimum force against “rioters” and denied a hunger strike, with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin calling the protest a “political stunt”.
IN FULL
US Senator pepper-sprayed by ICE outside immigration detention center: ‘It’s just burning’
