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DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Torches Anti-ICE Mob As Newark Detention Facility Descends Into Chaos

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  May 27, 2026 2:00 PM

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin slammed the protests and riots surrounding an ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, where detainees have been engaged in a hunger strike over alleged mistreatment.  In recent days, protesters have swarmed the facility, clashing with immigration authorities while demanding the release of the illegal aliens, many of whom Mullin said have committed serious crimes. 

He argued that left-wing protesters would rather see criminals back on the streets than support immigration enforcement, and he also revealed a proposal the Trump administration may use to punish sanctuary cities that he says have only escalated tensions.

"We have arrested thousands, tens of thousands, gang members that are in categories of terrorists. We have arrested known terrorists just in this facility alone," Secretary Mullin said. "We have child rapists. We have sexual assault. We have murderers. We have drug traffickers, a long history of criminal activity, and they are sitting in this facility right now."

"These are the individuals that what these radical left Democrats want us to release back on the streets, so they would rather release them back on the streets and allow them to literally terrorize their own communities than to keep them locked up and deport them," he continued. "And that's what Antifa and these anti-ICE radical protesters are doing. And guess what? The people they elected are joining right beside them, and you just can't make sense out of this, especially the fact that local law enforcement wouldn't respond."

He went on to say that he is having ongoing discussions with President Trump about the possibility of shutting down international travel at sanctuary city airports, arguing that if those cities do not care about federal immigration law, then they should not be able to provide a service that relies on federal immigration enforcement.

Riots and protests have engulfed Delaney Hall, a private ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey, where detainees have been engaged in a hunger strike since Saturday over claims of spoiled food, inadequate medical care, overcrowding, and retaliation. The illegal immigrants are demanding better treatment, faster hearings, and, in some cases, release. 

In response, left-wing protesters have gathered outside the facility, with some demonstrations devolving into riots and clashes with immigration authorities.