Democratic Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey got hit with pepper-ball spray on May 27 while physically obstructing federal immigration officers at the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark — and immediately ran to every camera in sight to tell the world he'd "do it all over again." Because nothing says "serious legislator" like cosplaying as a civil rights martyr at an illegal alien holding center.
Somebody get this man an Oscar. Or at least a participation trophy.
Kim told reporters he was "willing to take that risk," adding, "I'm not complaining about the pepperball spraying — for me, I'm complaining about what the treatment is to my constituents." His "constituents" in this case being detained individuals facing charges including murder, rape, sex offenses, and drug trafficking, according to DHS. Real salt-of-the-earth types.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin wasn't having any of it. He fired back with what might be the most accurate assessment of Kim's little stunt: "It's unfortunate that Senator Andy Kim is spreading this FALSE narrative and adding fuel to the fire for no other reason than political theater." Mullin pointed out that the facility provides detainees 3 meals a day from a food vendor that also serves Giants Stadium. These folks are eating better than half the people reading this.
But Kim wasn't alone in the theatrics. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer jumped in with his own pearl-clutching: "When even U.S. Senators are targeted, every American should understand: no one is safe from ICE's abuses." Targeted. The man walked into a law enforcement operation voluntarily and got exactly what anyone would get for refusing to move. That's not "targeting" — that's consequences.
Sen. Alex Padilla of California — who was previously detained during a similar stunt in Los Angeles — and New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill also piled on. The whole Democratic caucus has apparently decided that physically blocking federal officers is the hot new fundraising strategy.
Here's the part nobody in the mainstream press wants to mention: the protests at Delaney Hall escalated after sunset, with black-clad protesters showing up in goggles and masks. This wasn't a peaceful candlelight vigil. This was organized chaos, and Kim positioned himself right in the middle of it for maximum media exposure.
New Jersey Republican Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia from Sussex and Assemblyman Paul Kanitra from Toms River have been pushing back on the narrative that Newark is some kind of occupied city. The Delaney Hall facility is operated by a private contractor based in Boca Raton, and Mayor Ras J. Baraka — who reorganized Newark's police and fire departments under a single Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security back in 2015 — has been stoking tensions for weeks.
Let's be honest about what happened here. A sitting United States senator physically obstructed federal law enforcement officers executing lawful immigration operations, got a face full of pepper-ball for his trouble, and then bragged about it on national television. He didn't get "targeted." He didn't get "attacked." He showed up to a volatile situation, refused to comply, and got treated exactly like anyone else would.
Secretary Mullin nailed it. Political theater. And Andy Kim bought himself a front-row seat.