Trump says Delaney Hall protesters are ‘paid for’ amid ongoing clashes outside NJ ICE facility

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY: President Donald Trump sharply dismissed protesters outside the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility on Wednesday, May 27, calling them “fake” and “paid for” as tensions continued escalating around the controversial Newark detention center.

The remarks came during a Cabinet meeting as demonstrations outside the facility entered another chaotic day.

Trump calls Delaney Hall protesters ‘paid’ amid growing tensions

The protests outside Delaney Hall began on Friday, May 22, and continued throughout the week, with demonstrators raising concerns about alleged overcrowding, poor living conditions and inadequate medical care inside the facility.

Multiple confrontations also unfolded between protesters and ICE officers near the detention center entrance.

“These aren’t protesters; these people are fake, they’re all paid for,” Trump said Wednesday.

“We run the finest facilities anywhere in the world of their type,” he added.

Delaney Hall protests turn chaotic as tensions escalate outside ICE facility

Sunday night saw some of the most dramatic scenes yet as protesters attempted to block vehicles from entering and exiting the detention center.

Demonstrators gathered outside the gates and clashed with authorities as tensions escalated.

By Monday, officers deployed tear gas during confrontations outside the facility.

Videos from the scene showed officers throwing one protester to the ground while another person was dragged away from the entrance area.

The scenes quickly spread online as criticism of conditions inside Delaney Hall continued to grow.

The controversy intensified further on Wednesday when Democratic Reps Daniel Goldman and Jerrold Nadler were escorted into the facility amid mounting scrutiny over detainee treatment.

At the center of the protests are repeated allegations from detainees and family members who claim conditions inside the detention center have worsened in recent days.

Some detainees have reportedly launched a hunger strike, according to Sen Andy Kim of New Jersey.

Andy Kim describes ‘disgusting’ conditions inside Delaney Hall

Kim, who recently visited the facility, described what he said were deeply troubling conditions inside Delaney Hall.

Speaking to CNN, the senator claimed detainees showed him spoiled food and described deteriorating living standards inside the center.

“A detainee handed me a carton of milk, and I looked at it, and it was just congealed solid, I mean it was absolutely disgusting,” Kim said.

The Democratic senator has become one of the most vocal critics of the facility in recent days, especially after he was reportedly pepper-sprayed outside Delaney Hall during demonstrations.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin appeared unsympathetic when asked about the incident.

“I’m sorry, you probably shouldn’t have been there,” Mullin said while discussing Kim’s experience outside the detention center.

Mullin also defended conditions inside Delaney Hall and brushed aside criticism from lawmakers and detainees.

“This isn’t Holiday Inn,” he said when responding to complaints surrounding the facility.

Kim, however, insisted the concerns being raised by detainees and their families were serious and deserved attention.