The legacy media have largely avoided reporting on Friday’s ICE-Surrection at a New Jersey detention facility. On this Sunday’s CNN State of the Union, however, we see what clearly looks to be favorable coverage that sidesteps the violent nature of what happened there.
Watch as host Dana Bash tees up Congresswoman Lamonica McIver with the softest of softballs, without addressing what actually happened that day (click “expand” to view transcripts):
DANA BASH: And this was an attempt -- you were doing an event there, but you were also trying to go forward with part of your job in Congress, which is oversight. Were you able to get any of that oversight actually done? Congresswoman LaMonica McIver, I will send that to you.
LAMONICA MCIVER: Yes, we actually were. I mean, that's why I find it to be appalling that they said we were trespassing, because how are we trespassing and then you offer us a tour at the end? Which is the reason why we were there in the first place, to have a tour of this facility that had just opened up on May 1. It had over 100 detainees. We were getting reports prior to our tour that children were there. We did not know the status of the facility or the status of the detainees. And so that is why we showed up there to do our job as members. New Jerseyans count on us to do our job. Immigration has been something that's in the back doors -- in the backyards of New Jersey, and it's our jobs to make sure everything is running properly at this facility. So we were able to get a tour towards the end of all of that commotion, all of that chaos. They took us on a tour, offered us a soda in the midst of doing this, never apologized or said anything about the confrontation and the chaos that they caused outside. But we were able to get in, speak to detainees, check out the facilities, and make sure everything was OK there.
To be crystal clear, the “event” in question cited by Bash was a protest at the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark. Per reports, the protesters, spurred by the members of Congress present and the mayor of Newark, attempted to interfere with the arrival of a detainee bus. The ensuing melee spilled into facility grounds, which led to the arrest of Mayor Ras Baraka, and the physical confrontation that may result in Members of Congress facing charges. It all looks very insurrectiony, if we’re applying standards with any sort of consistency.
Of note: Bash mentions DHS statements but does so vaguely, never playing video for the Icesurrectionists to react to, or for viewers to gain context. But in fact, DHS did have something to say about the incident. Here’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin, ON CNN:
Delaney Hall Detention Center houses murderers, terrorists, child rapists and MS-13 gang members.
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) May 10, 2025
Why are these Democrat politicians so hell-bent on getting these heinous actors out of this facility that they would storm the facility & put law enforcement at risk? pic.twitter.com/ako8XAD7GV
TRICIA MCLAUGHLIN: Thanks, Victor for having me. I'm glad I can be here to actually give viewers the facts. What happened is that these members of Congress, including the mayor as well, in a mob of protesters, as there was a bus full of detainees going through the gate, they stormed the gate and actually entered the first security checkpoint. This put law enforcement at risk, and this actually put the detainees as well at risk. If any official, including these members of Congress, want to enter the facility and take a tour, DHS is more than accommodating. But just because you're a member of Congress does not mean you can break the law, trespass, put law enforcement at risk and storm the detention facility. I have yet to hear anyone on this network actually talk about who is in this detention facility. There are members of MS-13- known terrorists, murderers, child rapists. There are some of the worst of the worst in this detention facility. And I'm still very confused why these Democrats are so hell-bent on getting these heinous actors out of this facility when we have the proper permitting. And actually, in that press conference, those members of Congress actually noted the great conditions of this facility that our ICE enforcement officers so bravely operate.
“Here’s what DHS had to say, how do you respond” is a common device used by the legacy media. But Bash didn’t want to do that. Based on the substance of the interview, she very clearly wanted to offer these Members of Congress a platform through which to try to explain away the violent behavior they incited in opposition to the Executive Branch carrying out its responsibilities as to border enforcement. It wasn’t that long ago that such behavior was considered “insurrectionist” and violative of all norms.
But of course, things are (D)ifferent now.
Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned interview as aired on CNN State of the Union on Sunday, May 11th, 2025:
DANA BASH: Welcome back to State of the Union. The Trump administration says they may arrest three Democratic lawmakers after a chaotic scene outside an ICE detention center in New Jersey that already led to the arrest of Newark's mayor. Those lawmakers are under threat of arrest. They are here with me now. You see them, Democratic Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver, and Congressman Rob Menendez. Thanks to all three of you for being here. I'm going to start with you, Congresswoman Watson Coleman. The Department of Homeland Security's spokeswoman was on CNN and said that potential charges for all three of you are -- quote -- "on the table." Have you heard from anyone at DHS that you might be charged or arrested?
BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN: We have not heard anything. We have only read what everyone else has read. We have no idea why they would even suggest that, because we didn't do anything. So, no, we have no idea what they had in mind, other than to create an environment of intimidation just by claiming that perhaps we might be subject to arrest. But there's no reason for it. Nothing happened, other than the chaos that they created themselves. If anything, we were pushed and shoved and found in a very vulnerable situation for the three of us. We went there to do a legal oversight visit that we're allowed to do, permitted to do under the law. And ICE delayed us, tried to dissuade us, disregarded us. We were there an hour-and-a-half before the mayor came. And we went out there to see what was happening when the mayor was there. Then the mayor was asked to leave the space. He left the space willingly. And the next thing we know, ICE is going to arrest him. And they arrested him for trespassing on public property, which is absurd.
BASH: Congresswoman McIver, I want to go back to some of the footage. We were looking at some. And I want our viewers to see that you are the woman in the red blazer as we show them. The DHS says that -- obviously, that there were chaos, that maybe you were trespassing. You can talk about that. But the DHS also says that, in their words, you were body-slamming an ICE officer. Is that what we're looking at? Is that what happened?
LAMONICA MCIVER: Absolutely no. I mean, I honestly do not know how to body slam anyone. There's no video that supports me body- slamming anyone. We -- as Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman said, we were simply there to do our job, there for an oversight visit. And what you're watching in a video -- and we don't have all of the bodycam and we hope that all of the bodycam is released. It was a very tense situation. It unfortunately did not have to be like that. They created that confrontation. They created that chaos and then ultimately went to arrest the mayor of the largest city of New Jersey, who is my mayor and my constituent? And it was very difficult to watch that happen. But, absolutely, I did not body-slam anyone.
BASH: Congressman Menendez, as we saw there, there was a lot of shoving, a lot of shouting going on. It got physical. How did this situation escalate in the first place? And is there anything about what happened looking back and looking at that video that you might regret about how it played out?
ROB MENENDEZ: Yes, I appreciate that. I think there's a lot of opportunities for DHS, for ICE to de-escalate the situation. They chose not to. There's three House members there, the mayor of the largest city. As you can see in all the video, and this is important, they had over 20 armed ICE, HSI officers. They were heavily armed. They were -- their faces were covered and they were wearing no identification. So this is who they chose to have come engage with the mayor of Newark and three elected members of the House of Representatives. As Congresswoman Watson Coleman said, the mayor had gone on to public property. He had de-escalated the situation. We were all on the other side of the fence, on the -- let's just call it the private side of the fence. The mayor was on the public side. Someone there from HSI got a call. And what happened next was, they reengaged with the mayor. They went on to the public side. And that's where they arrested him. So there were so many instances where this could have all been de-escalated, but it was squarely in HSI, ICE's court. They chose not to. They made this a violent scene that we were unfortunately all a part of. And it's something that should really shock all Americans.
BASH: And this was an attempt -- you were doing an event there, but you were also trying to go forward with part of your job in Congress, which is oversight. Were you able to get any of that oversight actually done? Congresswoman LaMonica McIver, I will send that to you.
MCIVER: Yes, we actually were. I mean, that's why I find it to be appalling that they said we were trespassing, because how are we trespassing and then you offer us a tour at the end? Which is the reason why we were there in the first place, to have a tour of this facility that had just opened up on May 1. It had over 100 detainees. We were getting reports prior to our tour that children were there. We did not know the status of the facility or the status of the detainees. And so that is why we showed up there to do our job as members. New Jerseyans count on us to do our job. Immigration has been something that's in the back doors -- in the backyards of New Jersey, and it's our jobs to make sure everything is running properly at this facility. So we were able to get a tour towards the end of all of that commotion, all of that chaos. They took us on a tour, offered us a soda in the midst of doing this, never apologized or said anything about the confrontation and the chaos that they caused outside. But we were able to get in, speak to detainees, check out the facilities, and make sure everything was OK there.
BASH: The tour -- Congresswoman Watson Coleman, just to be clear, the tour came after that confrontation?
WATSON COLEMAN: The tour came after the confrontation, even though we were there almost two hours before the confrontation took place, but ICE kept giving us the run-around and kept saying that they needed to talk to someone else. So, finally, when we saw that all of the hierarchy from ICE in the state of New Jersey was on the premises, we were ready to then do the tour. But then this ensued, this conversation they had with the mayor. We were right there on the site with him when they asked him to get off of the property. He willingly moved, quietly moved with dignity and respect, and then chaos ensued when someone on the phone above the leaders of ICE who were with us at the facility instructed them to go into -- go out of the facility, go to the private property, and lock the mayor of the largest city in the state of New Jersey up. That's absurd. That's un-American. That's scary. That's determination to intimidate people in this country. And we fear for the safety and security of everyday families just trying to go about their lives. If they can do this to three federally elected officials with the authority to come and do their job, and they can then also lock up the mayor of the largest city in the state of New Jersey who is on public property, I understand the fear that I keep getting information on. People just are afraid of this un-American hyperactivity, this weaponization of law enforcement, and the consistent lying at all levels to try to cover up for the wrong and the unlawful activities that ICE did on that day.
BASH: A lot of unanswered questions here. Appreciate the three of you coming on together today to try to shed a little bit more light on it. Thank you so much.
WATSON COLEMAN: Thank you.
MCIVER: Thank you so much for having us.
