Protests outside Delaney Hall immigration detention center in New Jersey intensified this week as former U.S. Border Patrol commander-at-large Greg Bovino publicly voiced support for federal agents amid clashes with demonstrators, while Democratic officials demanded accountability for alleged detainee mistreatment and called for de-escalation.
Bovino, who retired from the agency earlier this year after being demoted following the fatal shootings of two people by federal agents during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minnesota, issued a message to ICE officers stationed at Delaney Hall on Friday.
"ICE Agents at Delaney, hang in there," Bovino wrote. "You have the world watching and supporting your efforts to hold the line." He concluded with: "Give them hell and live the moment!!"
What the Right Is Saying
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended federal officers Friday evening, stating that immigration agents sustained injuries after a protester bit an officer Thursday night outside Delaney Hall.
"Last night, a violent rioter savagely kicked and bit ICE law enforcement officers outside of Delaney Hall. Today, this violent agitator is being charged," Mullin wrote in a social media post.
Mullin added: "The Trump Administration will ALWAYS stand with our federal law enforcement officers. Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Bovino's message of support referenced what he called the "Mean Green Team" sending encouragement to agents, stating: "Every one of us wants to be shoulder to shoulder with you." The former commander had been demoted following the Minnesota shootings but retains significant influence among immigration enforcement personnel.
What the Left Is Saying
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) said she was denied access to the facility this week, prompting her to call for a health department inspection and the closure of the private detention center.
"I'll also keep calling on everyone there now, especially ICE, to de-escalate the situation, to act humanely, to protest peacefully and to respect the laws and the constitution of the United States," Sherrill said in a video shared on social media Friday.
Democratic Sen. Andy Kim (N.J.), who sits on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, told CNN he experienced eye irritation after DHS agents launched pepper balls at protesters Monday outside the facility.
"I tried my best to get in between the ICE agents and the crowd as the ICE convoy decided to just go ahead and plow through the crowd, which was absolutely just so dangerous of an action that they were doing," Kim said. "But more broadly, this is something that was avoidable."
Kim added: "We're seeing just a heightened level of danger right now in New Jersey." Protesters are demanding that DHS provide answers for alleged mistreatment of detainees at the facility.
What the Numbers Show
The protests at Delaney Hall have continued for multiple days this week, according to reports from multiple news outlets covering the demonstration. No official tally of protesters or law enforcement injuries has been released by DHS as of Friday evening.
DHS stated that none of the protesters were "directly struck" by pepper ball projectiles fired Monday, though Sen. Kim reported experiencing eye irritation at the scene. The department confirmed one protester is facing charges for allegedly assaulting an officer.
Delaney Hall is operated by a private contractor and falls under DHS oversight as an immigration detention facility in New Jersey.
The Bottom Line
The standoff at Delaney Hall reflects broader tensions between federal immigration enforcement and local Democratic officials who have pushed back against the Trump administration's crackdown policies. Gov. Sherrill's push for state health inspections could set up a legal confrontation over jurisdiction over private federal detention facilities.
Sen. Kim's firsthand account of Monday's confrontations, combined with his committee role overseeing homeland security, gives his concerns institutional weight within Congress. The charges filed against one protester mark the first concrete enforcement action stemming from this week's demonstrations.
What happens next will likely depend on whether state officials pursue independent inspections and what information DHS releases about detainee conditions at the facility.