White House border czar Tom Homan declared Tuesday that migrants held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody who are on hunger strike will be force-fed if their condition deteriorates. In an interview with Fox News's Laura Ingraham, Homan addressed the ongoing protest at the Delaney Hall facility in Newark, New Jersey, where detainees are refusing food over what they describe as poor conditions.
Homan, a veteran of immigration enforcement since the 1980s, was blunt in his assessment. “Look, I have done this since 1984,” he told Ingraham. “Hunger strikes never work. We are not going to change what we do because someone goes on a hunger strike.” He added, “And matter of fact, 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.” This marks one of the clearest statements yet from the Trump administration on its willingness to use medical intervention to counter detainee protests.
The border czar emphasized that hunger strikes will not lead to releases from federal custody, vowing that ICE will “continue to arrest people. We’ll continue to detain people.” He also defended the standards of immigration detention facilities, calling them the highest “in the industry” and “better than any state prison, county jail or federal lockup.” The comments come amid heightened scrutiny of detention conditions, particularly at Delaney Hall, which has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over immigration enforcement.
Homan did not stop at defending policy; he also took aim at protesters who have gathered outside the facility since Friday, calling the demonstrations “a disgrace to this nation.” He contrasted their actions with the work of ICE officers, saying, “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 protests coincided with Memorial Day weekend, adding a layer of political tension.
The situation escalated over the weekend when several New Jersey Democrats, including Governor Mikie Sherrill, attempted to enter the facility. Sherrill was denied access, but Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.) was allowed inside after personally calling Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. ICE officers deployed pepper pellets against demonstrators, and Kim was later seen having water poured into his eyes. The senator spoke with federal officers and protesters before the crowds dispersed. Immigration enforcement officials also tackled and arrested some protesters on Monday.
Kim was sharply critical of the incident. “What I witnessed and experienced today was shameful,” he posted on X. “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.” His remarks have amplified calls from Democratic lawmakers to investigate detention conditions and the use of force against protesters.
Secretary Mullin fired back at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) after Schumer shared a photo of Kim amid the pepper spray exposure alongside a photo of federal agents forcing Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) to the ground last year. Mullin wrote, “When even U.S. Senators are targeted, every American should understand: no one is safe from ICE’s abuses.” He added, “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.”
The standoff at Delaney Hall is the latest flashpoint in the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement agenda, which has also seen escalating tensions with Iran and key political tests in Texas runoffs. As protests continue and legal battles loom, the administration shows no sign of backing down, with Homan’s force-feeding threat underscoring the uncompromising stance at the heart of its border policy.
