Over the holiday weekend, New Jersey Democrat politicians gathered outside Newark’s Delaney Hall, which ICE has been using as a detention facility for over a decade. CNN showed video on Tuesday morning’s The Situation Room of several prominent Democrat politicians. Included in their highlight reel was New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, Senator Andy Kim, and Representative Robert Menendez, who spoke to cameras outside the facility amid swarms of protesters performing the modern Democrat’s favorite pastime as they clashed with officers and attempted to block vehicles coming in or out. These particular protests were spurred by unsubstantiated “reports of rough conditions like rotten food and a hunger strike by detainees,” according to co-host Pamela Brown. Brown also noted that New Jersey’s Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill and other politicians “say they were denied entry to the facility.” According to DHS, “visitation has been suspended out of an abundance of caution,” during the chaotic protests encouraged by these very same politicians.  Gloria Pazmino, CNN correspondent, reported the situation at the detention facility: This all started over the weekend after a reported hunger strike inside of Delaney Hall by detainees there who are trying to bring attention to what they say are unacceptable conditions, rotten food, a lack of access to medical care, people who are not able to be in contact with their attorneys, people who say that they're being denied their due process rights.   We have heard these talking points from Democrats and the leftist media for a long time, even though, according to DHS, ICE actually had higher detention standards than most regular prisons holding U.S. citizens, and detainees are provided with three meals a day.      CNN also conveniently left out DHS’s denial of the claims that illegal alien detainees could not receive medical care. Sherrill, though, inadvertently admitted that ICE was providing certain necessary items to detainees: We're having reports that women who are menstruating have to ask every time they need products. That's humiliating.  Apparently, in the mind of Governor Sherrill, a woman in ICE custody should only have to wish silently for menstruation products, rather than the usual human way of communication - speaking aloud and asking for what she needs - which she derided as “humiliating.” Pazmino also pointed out that this Delaney Hall detention facility was the same one that Congresswoman Lamonica McIver and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka used as a backdrop to their own performative grandstanding back in May of 2025. NewsBusters readers might recall they were arrested and indicted by a federal grand jury for trespassing and assaulting officers, among other charges. Menendez claimed that ICE was not letting the governor inside the facility for one reason only: Because they don’t want us to tell the stories of what’s happening inside. Because when we tell the stories, everyone in New Jersey and people across the country realize this is not who we are as a country, but a reflection of who we are in this moment under the Trump administration. Rather, the main lesson from this situation is that the Democrats and their allies in the legacy media will take every opportunity to grandstand for their preferred victim groups, rather than support popular and lawful federal actions. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: CNN's The Situation Room 5/26/26  10:42:35 am PAMELA  BROWN: All right, Wolf, also happening now, New Jersey officials are demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security about conditions at a federal immigration facility. You see it right here, this chaotic scene that erupted right outside of Delaney Hall in Newark yesterday between protesters and ICE agents amid reports of rough conditions like rotten food and a hunger strike by detainees in response. Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill and several lawmakers say they were denied entry to the facility. [Cuts to video] GOV. MIKIE SHERRILL (D-NJ): Everyone, regardless of your status, should be treated with dignity, making sure that you make your doctor's appointments, that you get your medication. We're having reports that women who are menstruating have to ask every time they need products. That's humiliating.[Cuts back to live] BROWN: A DHS spokesperson tells CNN visitation has been suspended out of an abundance of caution following these clashes, and that approximately 125 people surrounded Delaney Hall, forming a human chain, blocking all entries and exits. So let's go live now to CNN's Gloria Pazmino to learn more. Gloria, what can you tell us? GLORIA PAZMINO: Yeah, Pamela. And at this hour, demonstrators continue to be outside of Delaney Hall in Newark, trying to bring attention to conditions inside the facility. This all started over the weekend after a reported hunger strike inside of Delaney Hall by detainees there who are trying to bring attention to what they say are unacceptable conditions, rotten food, a lack of access to medical care, people who are not able to be in contact with their attorneys, people who say that they're being denied their due process rights.  And so several times now, we've seen clashes between law enforcement officers who are on site and protesters, including at one point, protesters trying to block a vehicle who - which was trying to transport a detainee out of that facility.  Now, we heard from the Governor of New Jersey yesterday. She was denied entry into Delaney Hall when she arrived to try to do an oversight visit. And Congressmen Andy Kim and Menendez also on site trying to get access to the facility.  We should point out this is the same facility where about a year ago, we saw other members of Congress actually being taken into custody, Congresswoman Lamonica McIver, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, also trying to get access. So we've seen a history at this facility. Take a listen to the members of Congress talking about what they saw there yesterday. [Cuts to video] REP. ROBERT MENENDEZ (D-NJ): The reason they want to make this as hard as possible, they won't let the Governor in is because they don't want us to tell the stories of what's happening inside. Because when we tell the stories, everyone in New Jersey and people across the country realize this is not who we are as a country, but a reflection of who we are in this moment under the Trump administration. SEN. ANDY KIM (D-NJ): These are not the people that Donald Trump keeps saying that they are trying to lock up. [Cuts back to live] PAZMINO: Pamela, the Department of Homeland Security has denied that there is a hunger strike ongoing inside the facility. We have spoken to some of the lawyers that are representing some of those who are inside. They point to the same conditions we have been hearing about. And as I said, this is just a facility that has seen a lot of activity in the past year as we continue to see an increase in deportations and arrests by federal immigration authorities. BROWN: All right. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much.