Congressional Democrats who tried to force their way into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center deserve to be punished, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Democratic Reps. Rob Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman, and LaMonica McIver of New Jersey were part of a group of Democrats who claimed they were on an oversight mission as they tried to force their way into ICE’s Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey, on Friday.
“This wasn’t oversight. This was committing felonies. This was going out and attacking people who stand up for the rule of law. And it was absolutely horrible,” Noem said, according to Fox News.
“What are they trying to do?” Noem said, citing women who have been killed by illegal immigrants. “Release these people back into the country, so that there could be more Laken Rileys? So there can be more Jocelyn Nungarays? I just don’t understand what their point is. They have completely lost their minds.”
Noem said voters and members of the House should be revolted by what took place and respond accordingly.
“It’s astounding to me that someone would even vote for someone to put them in a place of leadership when they perpetuate something as hypocritical and as criminal as what these individuals did,” she said.
“I hope that the rest of the members of the House of Representatives will hold them accountable. They shouldn’t be allowed to be on the committees that they’re on — in fact, one of them [McIver] is supposed to be conducting oversight over ICE and instead she’s assaulting them,” she said.
“They don’t deserve to be in the House,” Noem said. “They should be censured by it.”
Censure is a formal reprimand given to a member of Congress.
Should these lawmakers by censured?
In a statement issued Friday, the Department of Homeland Security said the Democrats tried to break into the center while violent illegal immigrants were being bused in.
“Today, as a bus of detainees was entering the security gate of Delaney Hall Detention Center, a group of protestors, including two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility,” the statement said.
Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS, said the Democrats put public safety at risk.
“Members of Congress storming into a detention facility goes beyond a bizarre political stunt and puts the safety of our law enforcement agents and detainees at risk,” McLaughlin said in the statement.
“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.”
🚨WATCH: US Congresswoman, LaMonica McIver (wearing a red blazer), storms the gate of Delaney Hall Detention Center ASSAULTING an ICE agent. pic.twitter.com/4Q1deds1tl
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 10, 2025
McLaughlin said laws were broken in the incident, during which Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested.
“There will likely be more arrests coming. We actually have body camera footage of some of these members of Congress assaulting our ICE enforcement officers, including body slamming a female ICE officer,” she said, according to CNN.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
