New Jersey senator dares DHS to pepper-spray him again as Mullin slams 'political theater'

By Fox News · Fox News

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Andy Kim fired back after DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin accused him of engaging in "political theater" following a chaotic protest outside Newark’s Delaney Hall detention facility, where Kim was struck by pepper-ball spray while confronting federal officers. Kim and other New Jersey Democrats, including Gov. Mikie Sherrill , have sharply criticized conditions at Delaney Hall, an immigration detention facility in Newark operated by a private contractor. DHS officials, meanwhile, accuse the lawmakers of escalating tensions and undermining ICE enforcement efforts. The clash intensified after Kim was hit with pepper-ball spray during demonstrations outside the facility earlier this week. "Secretary Markwayne Mullin in a cabinet meeting today said that I was complaining about being hit by a pepperball spray at Delaney Hall and he said that I shouldn't be there -- I just want to say this was never about me," Kim said in a response on social media later Thursday. "I was willing to take that risk. I'm not complaining about the pepperball spraying — for me, I'm complaining about what the treatment is to my constituents, to Americans and to civilians that were in harm's way." ANTI-ICE AGITATORS THROW WOODEN PALLETS, MATTRESSES AT FEDERAL AGENTS DURING CHAOTIC NJ DETENTION CENTER CLASH Kim said Mullin’s agency is overseeing inhumane treatment of the illegal immigrants inside the facility and is wrongfully awarding a lucrative contract to a Boca Raton-based company to manage it. "So again, this isn't about me. I was willing to take on that risk. I'd do it all over again," he said. He said he would do "anything that I can to keep my constituents and to keep people safe." When asked about Kim's response, Mullin told Fox News Digital on Thursday that he was sorry to see Kim spread fallacies and inflame the situation unnecessarily. "It’s unfortunate that Senator Andy Kim (who I’ve had a good relationship with) is spreading this FALSE narrative and addin…