KEY POINT SUMMARY โ Liberals fight ICE
โข Liberals fight ICE after NJ Democrats join protest at detention center
โข GOP resolution targets Reps. Menendez, McIver, and Watson Coleman
โข DHS calls it a safety risk and slams the trioโs conduct
โข Dems deny wrongdoing, allege assault by ICE agents
โข House leadership defends its actions as lawful oversight
Liberals Fight ICE During Newark Facility Confrontation
The Liberals fight ICE saga escalated when three New Jersey Democrats entered a federal detention center in Newark during a protest over immigration enforcement. Now, GOP lawmakers are seeking to punish them by stripping their committee seats.
Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver, and Bonnie Watson Coleman say they were exercising oversight duties. But their critics call the move reckless and dangerous.
Republicans Push Back on Liberals Who Fight ICE
Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga, has introduced a resolution to remove the three lawmakers from their current House committee assignments. He described the incident as a โpolitical stuntโ that put federal officers and detainees at risk.
โThe Liberals fight ICE moment went too far,โ Carter said. โThey ignored procedure and endangered lives just to make headlines.โ
Menendez serves on Energy & Commerce, McIver holds seats on Homeland Security and Small Business, and Watson Coleman sits on the Appropriations Committee. The bill would remove them all.
DHS Condemns Democratsโ Entry into Detention Facility
The Department of Homeland Security sharply criticized the lawmakers, accusing them of rushing into the Delaney Hall Detention Center. Officials say the group entered during a detainee transfer, putting operations in jeopardy.
โHad they requested a tour, we would have provided one,โ DHS said. โBreaking protocol like this is not only reckless but also illegal.โ
The Liberals fight ICE storyline now reflects more than protestโit has become a legal and political battle over the boundaries of congressional authority.
Democrats Insist They Followed Protocol
The accused lawmakers quickly pushed back. Watson Coleman posted on X, โThe idea we โstormedโ a secure detention facility is absurd.โ
McIver said ICE officers physically pushed her and others aside, violating their rights. She cited ICEโs own published policies as evidence that their visit was within protocol.
โWe were there in our capacity as elected officials,โ McIver said. โWhat happened was unacceptable.โ
Their allies maintain that the Liberals fight ICE event was a lawful oversight visit, not a breach of security.
House Democrats Rally Behind Accused Colleagues
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries came out in strong support of the trio. He condemned what he called intimidation by the Trump administration and criticized the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka during the protest.
โThe agents who assaulted our members must be identified,โ Jeffries said. โThe charges against Mayor Baraka must be dropped immediately.โ
He added that the Liberals fight ICE narrative is being twisted to silence criticism of the detention system.
Whatโs Next for the Liberals Who Fought ICE?
The GOP resolution may soon head to the floor, though its chances of passing remain unclear. While Republicans control the House, some members may hesitate to support committee removals tied to protest activity.
Still, the debate continues to stoke national attention on immigration enforcement and the role of lawmakers in confronting it.
As both parties dig in, the Liberals fight ICE conflict may shape future oversight protocolsโand deepen the divide in Congress.
