US senator says he was pepper sprayed by federal agents during protest at ICE facility

Demonstrators protested at Delaney Hall in Newark, where detainees reportedly staged a hunger strike over poor conditions and denial of medical care. During the protest, demonstrators clashed with immigration officers as a detainee organizer was being transferred to another facility. Video showed Sen. Andy Kim receiving help from a volunteer who poured water in his eyes after he was pepper sprayed. Kim said he had entered Delaney Hall to see conditions and later tried to de-escalate a standoff by standing in front of ICE agents and an armored vehicle. He alleged agents pushed through the crowd, tackled people, and used pepper spray and pepper balls. ICE officials said they intended to push through to move vehicles out of the area.

"Video posted on social media showed Kim receiving help from a volunteer who is seen pouring water in his eyes outside Delaney Hall in Newark, where detainees are reportedly staging a hunger strike against poor conditions and denial of medical care."

"He said he emerged to a standoff between protesters and agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who he said had deployed an armored vehicle as a barricade, and that he kind of lined up in front of them to try to de-escalate the situation. ICE officials told me that they were going to push through the crowd with their vehicle and they wanted to get some vehicles out of there, Kim said."

"I tried to arrange a situation where people would not get hurt, where there wouldn't be a confrontation. Unfortunately, ICE just continued on. People were getting tackled and brought to the ground and ICE started pushing through with their vehicles and started shooting at us with pepper balls and using pepper spray, he said. I tried to do whatever I could standing in the middle to keep people safe."

"Instead of engaging with me and others about the poor conditions, ICE sent in an armored vehicle and a line of armed agents that only poured gasoline on the fire, he wrote. What I witnessed and experienced today was shameful."

Read at www.theguardian.com