Additional Coverage:
- Markwayne Mullin tells ICE hunger-strikers who want ‘ethnic food’ to ‘go back to their country’ (themirror.com)
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin sparked controversy on Wednesday with remarks echoing former President Trump’s harsh stance on immigration. Speaking at a televised Cabinet meeting, Mullin suggested that detainees at the New Jersey ICE facility who are reportedly on hunger strike are simply refusing food because they want “ethnic” meals.
“There was only a handful of individuals refusing to eat because they want their ethnic group, or their ethnic-right food,” Mullin said. “Well, they can go back to their country and get whatever food they want.
The fact is, we’re giving them the calories they want. This isn’t Holiday Inn.”
These comments come amid serious allegations from Democratic lawmakers who recently toured Delaney Hall in Newark. Representatives reported that detainees are being served meager portions, some allegedly infested with maggots.
U.S. Rep.
Adriano Espaillat called the conditions “inhumane” and pledged to push for the facility’s closure.
Protests have been ongoing for several days outside the center, with demonstrators supporting detainees and demanding better treatment. U.S.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, another Democrat, noted that detainees reportedly receive only Tylenol for medication.
He highlighted individual cases of detainees suffering severe health issues, including a woman with a breast lump still waiting for a mammogram after a month and a detainee battling untreated colon cancer.
“The bottom line is, if you are human, if you are American, you cannot support what is going on here,” said Rep. Dan Goldman. “They’re living in jail conditions, and none of these people are criminals.”
Following their visits, lawmakers joined protesters and family members outside the facility. Over 50 demonstrators held signs reading “Stop Family Separation” and chanted slogans like “Free Them All,” directing criticism at ICE officers present at the scene.
Tensions escalated on Monday when U.S. Sen.
Andy Kim and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill led a delegation that was denied access to the facility.
Kim reported being pepper-sprayed during clashes between officials and ICE personnel, who responded with armored vehicles and forceful crowd control tactics.
Gabriela Soto, whose husband was among the hunger strikers before being transferred, stated that participation had grown from 300 detainees to nearly all of them. Wearing a shirt emblazoned with “Abolish ICE,” she underscored the widespread nature of the protest inside.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey has also raised alarms about the treatment of detainees, including pregnant women lacking adequate medical care. ACLU Executive Director Amol Sinha described the reported neglect as deliberate cruelty.
Despite these serious accusations, the Department of Homeland Security has denied any hunger strikes, abuse, or poor conditions at the facility, dismissing the claims as politically motivated. Former President Trump defended the operation of ICE facilities during the same Cabinet meeting, asserting, “We run the finest facilities anywhere in the world of their type. There’s nobody that runs a facility like we do.”
Trump’s remarks echo his past blunt and often xenophobic comments about immigrants, including a December statement targeting Somali immigrants that sparked widespread criticism. “I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you,” he said then.
“Their country is no good for a reason. Their country stinks.
And we don’t want them in our country.”
As the debate over immigration enforcement continues to intensify, the spotlight remains on the conditions within ICE detention centers and the treatment of those held inside.