WATCH: Teachers Union Boss Randi Weingarten Stages Anti-ICE Video Outside a Detention Center, and DHS Torches Her “Dangerous Rhetoric”

Teachers union boss Randi Weingarten filmed an anti-ICE video outside a New Jersey detention center, drawing a sharp response from the Department of Homeland Security over “dangerous rhetoric.” The American Federation of Teachers president condemned the detention and deportation of immigrants while standing near Delaney Hall in Newark. She accused the government of holding people in unacceptable conditions and demanded changes to the immigration system. DHS rejected her allegations about detention conditions.

Weingarten delivered her remarks outdoors with the facility visible behind her, pointing toward the building as she addressed the camera. The video circulated on X, where school-choice advocate Corey DeAngelis shared it on October 5th. Weingarten has led AFT since 2008, and her immigration activism has included a campaign against Target over ICE operations in Minnesota. DeAngelis criticized that campaign in commentary published on May 8th.

“This is one of the most despicable things that our current government does,” Weingarten said. She asserted that the immigrants being held had committed no crimes and criticized the conditions under which they were detained and deported. Turning to her family history, she compared their desire for a better life with her grandparents’ reasons for coming to America. She also urged people to bear witness to what she alleged was happening at Delaney Hall.

Weingarten challenged the government’s decision to detain and deport people under the existing immigration system. “They work hard. They play by the rules,” she said. She argued that problems with the system should be addressed through immigration changes and accused the government of cruelty in its current enforcement practices. DHS responded to the conditions allegation through Fox News.

“Any claim that there are subprime conditions at ICE detention facilities is false,” the department said, as Fox News reported. The agency has also issued warnings about threats against immigration officers and their families. In a January statement, DHS said officers were “facing an 8,000% increase in death threats against them.” The department blamed repeated attacks on the character of federal law enforcement for encouraging threats and violence.

DHS also offers assistance for eligible illegal immigrants who leave voluntarily through the CBP Home app. Its program guidance lists a $3,000 exit bonus and cost-free travel, with payment following confirmation of departure. Noncriminal participants who submit their intent to leave and pass vetting can be temporarily deprioritized for detention and removal before their scheduled departure. The guidance also provides for assistance obtaining travel documents and registering family members as co-travelers.

Watch Weingarten’s remarks outside Delaney Hall here:

DeAngelis previously challenged Weingarten’s use of the union’s influence in the Target dispute. In a May commentary, he described her letter to the retailer’s chief executive and pressure involving teachers’ pension investments. He also cited a union resolution encouraging members to boycott Target for back-to-school shopping unless the company opposed ICE operations. Weingarten’s demands focused on enforcement in Minnesota, where Target is headquartered.

Writing in commentary published by the Heritage Foundation, DeAngelis argued that AFT leadership was devoting its resources to political campaigns while students continued to struggle academically. He criticized the use of members’ purchasing power and pension holdings to pressure a retailer over immigration enforcement. The union, he wrote, “wants to dictate corporate policy on immigration while its own members’ students struggle with basic skills. That mismatch should alarm every taxpayer and parent.”

Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.