White House border czar Tom Homan stated that migrants currently held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainment who are on hunger strike could face force-feeding if their health deteriorates, The Hill reported. Homan made these remarks during an interview, specifically addressing the ongoing hunger strike by detained migrants at the Delaney Hall facility in Newark, N.J., who are protesting what they describe as poor conditions.
Homan minced no words during his appearance, emphasizing that hunger strikes are not an effective tactic to change ICE policies. He said, “Look, I have done this since 1984. Hunger strikes never work. We are not going to change what we do because someone goes on a hunger strike.”
He then added the very serious implication that “if it gets bad enough and the prisoners feel like they’re putting themselves in extreme danger, medical danger, then we’ll force-feed them. We will get a court order and force-feed them.”
The border czar also clarified that engaging in a hunger strike will not result in release from federal custody
Homan affirmed that ICE plans to “continue to arrest people. We’ll continue to detain people.” Homan went on to defend the conditions within immigration enforcement detention facilities, asserting that their standards are the highest in the industry, even better than state prisons, county jails, or federal lockups.
Beyond the detainees, Homan also expressed strong disapproval for protesters who have been demonstrating outside the Delaney Hall facility since Friday in solidarity with the migrants. He called their demonstrations “a disgrace to this nation.” Homan highlighted a specific day, stating, “The day we’re supposed to honor those who gave all, and [protesters are] there disrespecting and attacking those men and women of ICE who strap a gun to their hip every day [and] go out and protect people they don’t even know or never will meet.”
The situation at Delaney Hall has also drawn the attention of several New Jersey Democrats. Over the weekend, Gov. Mikie Sherrill attempted to gain access to the facility but was denied entry. However, Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) was able to get inside after making a personal call to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The protests outside turned tense, with ICE officers firing pepper pellets at demonstrators.
Senator Kim was later seen having water poured into his eyes, presumably to alleviate the effects of the pepper spray. He reportedly spoke with both the federal officers and the protesters before the crowds eventually dispersed. On Monday, immigration enforcement officials also tackled and arrested some of the protesters.
Following his experience, Senator Kim shared his strong reaction on the social platform X, stating, “What I witnessed and experienced today was shameful. Delaney Hall is a failure; it’s this administration’s failure. The only way to make this right for our communities is to shut it down and make sure the failures we’ve seen never happen again.” This is a pretty damning assessment of the facility and the current situation.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, for his part, also took to X on Tuesday to criticize Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Schumer had shared a photo of Senator Kim after being exposed to pepper balls and spray, alongside an image of federal agents forcing Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) to the ground and handcuffing him last year. Schumer’s post read, “When even U.S. Senators are targeted, every American should understand: no one is safe from ICE’s abuses.”
Mullin fired back on X, writing, “I have zero respect for career liberal politicians like Chuck Schumer (who has never held a job outside of politics) who openly demonize law enforcement. While radical Democrats aim to defund the police, @DHSgov is 100% focused on enforcing the law, securing the border, and deporting violent illegals aliens.”
Published: May 27, 2026 04:00 pm