Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, took a stand against President Trump’s immigration policies by joining a protest outside a New Jersey detention center. The facility, Delaney Hall in Newark, is where detainees have launched a hunger strike to protest conditions inside.
Sherrill, on Monday, interacted with detainees’ family members who shared concerns over spoiled food and a lack of medical care. Protesters at the scene displayed signs, banged drums, and chanted, “Free Them All!” The governor, donning casual attire, comforted upset family members while voicing her frustrations over being denied access to the facility.
“No matter what your immigration status is, you shouldn’t be treated with anything less than dignity in this country,”
said Sherrill to the gathered crowd.
This protest is the latest clash between her and the Trump administration. A previous incident involved a lawsuit by the Trump administration against Sherrill and New Jersey’s attorney general regarding a state law. This law prevents law enforcement, including ICE agents, from wearing masks on duty.
The detention center, privately operated with a capacity of 1,000 beds, reopened last year and has become central in the immigration debate. It houses immigrants detained across New York City and the Northeast, as federal agents increase arrests in various locations.
The lawsuit against Sherrill marks at least the second federal challenge to her immigration policies.
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