Rep. Buddy Carter leads an effort to remove three New Jersey Democrats from their committee assignments following a contentious encounter at a federal detention center.

According to Fox News, Rep. Carter introduced a resolution Tuesday to strip Reps. Robert Menendez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and LaMonica McIver of their House committee roles after they allegedly "stormed" the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark.

The Department of Homeland Security accused the three lawmakers of breaking into the facility when gates opened for a bus carrying detainees. DHS officials emphasized that the unauthorized entry jeopardized the safety of law enforcement personnel and individuals in detention.

Democratic lawmakers defend their actions

The New Jersey representatives firmly rejected the characterization of their visit as unauthorized entry. They maintained their constitutional right to conduct oversight at DHS detention facilities without prior notice, describing the Republican response as politically motivated.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries backed the three Democrats, demanding identification of the agents involved in the physical confrontation. He called for dropping charges against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was also present during the incident.

The lawmakers released a joint statement addressing the resolution. Rep. Carter shared his perspective on the situation:

The radical left has lost their minds – they would rather raid an ICE facility to defend criminal illegal immigrants than represent their own constituents. This behavior constitutes an assault on our brave ICE agents and undermines the rule of law. The three members involved in this stunt do not deserve to sit on committees alongside serious lawmakers.

Committee assignments at stake

If successful, the resolution would remove Watson Coleman from the House Appropriations Committee, Menendez from the Energy & Commerce Committee, and McIver from both the Small Business and Homeland Security committees.

Carter's office has begun reaching out to fellow House Republicans to gauge support for the measure. The resolution represents another instance of using committee removals as a political tool in Congress.

DHS officials emphasized that the representatives could have requested a formal tour of the facility, which would have been accommodated through proper channels.

Physical confrontation sparks debate

The incident reportedly turned physical, with Democrats alleging that ICE agents assaulted McIver and Watson Coleman during the encounter. Watson Coleman took to social media to dispute the characterization of events.

McIver referenced ICE's website guidelines regarding facility visits, suggesting that the confrontation and subsequent arrest of Mayor Baraka were unnecessary developments.

The Democrats countered Republican accusations by focusing on policy matters, stating that the resolution serves to distract from healthcare-related legislation affecting millions of Americans.

Resolution adds to mounting tensions

Rep. Buddy Carter spearheaded the resolution to remove three New Jersey Democrats from their committee assignments after they entered the Delaney Hall Detention Center during a protest. The Department of Homeland Security condemned the incident as a political stunt that endangered facility security, while the Democratic representatives defended their actions as legitimate congressional oversight. The resolution's success depends on gathering sufficient Republican support as Carter's office continues outreach efforts to fellow party members.