Senator Andy Kim Injured in Tear Gas Incident at ICE Protest

Senator Andy Kim Injured in Tear Gas Incident at ICE Protest

Korean-American Democratic Senator Andy Kim, alongside Governor Mikie Sherrill and others, visited the front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility at Delleny Hall in New Jersey, the state, on the 25th, which was Memorial Day in the U.S., and suffered an ordeal of being hit by tear gas fired by law enforcement officers, resulting in hand injuries. In this district, which is Senator Kim’s constituency, protests by families of detainees condemning the “horrific environment” of the detention facility began on the 23rd. Issues such as inhumane overcrowding, poor conditions, and the separation of female detainees from their children sparked widespread discontent. Although Senator Kim, who stepped in as a mediator, urged restraint, after several standoffs, ICE officers sprayed tear gas into the crowd, and Senator Kim also suffered an ordeal.

On that day, videos of Senator Kim receiving treatment from medical staff at the scene rapidly spread across social media platforms such as X, formerly Twitter. Earlier, Senator Kim had urged restraint by holding a megaphone and asking protesters to clear a path for vehicles, but it was to no avail. Local New Jersey media reported that as the protests escalated, ICE officers wearing masks pushed those they were confronting to the ground and repeatedly sprayed tear gas and pepper spray into the crowd. Some protesters reportedly retaliated by spraying water at the officers and shouting. Senator Kim stated, “I witnessed today a lack of due process, disgusting food, and chaos. Our Constitution requires that everyone receive humane treatment,” adding, “The Delleny Hall detention facility is a failure of the executive branch, and the only way to correct this is to close the facility.”

In response, the Department of Homeland Security countered, “We provide detainees with three meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, and toiletries,” and “Some politicians are spreading slander.” Amid the Trump administration’s sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration, surprise raids have also occurred in Korean-American dense areas of New Jersey, such as Palisades Park, Jersey City, and Tenafly, resulting in multiple arrests, and conflicts surrounding this continue. Senator Kim, who comes from a Korean-American immigrant family and is a foreign policy and security expert, has strongly criticized the Trump administration’s illegal immigration crackdown policies and military operations against Iran, among others. Last month, appearing on CNN, Senator Kim said of U.S. President Donald Trump, “He is unfit to be commander-in-chief,” adding, “He has lost the trust and confidence of the American people and is a dangerous figure to the American public. He is acting completely contrary to what the people want and prioritize.”

submitted by /u/coinfwip4
[link] [comments]

Latest News from Korea

Latest Entertainment from Korea

Learn People & History of Korea