Union Leader Criticized for Visiting Detention Center Amid Immigration Debate

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten faced a storm of criticism Wednesday after recording a video from a field overlooking Newark's Delaney Hall migrant detention center. In the clip, she spoke out about what she called terrible conditions inside the facility.

Critics are already targeting her political activism while student academic scores remain lower than they were before the pandemic. One critic recently summarized the situation by calling it a desire to "dictate … policy on immigration while its own members' students struggle with basic skills."

When asked about Weingarten's visit, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News Digital that dangerous rhetoric from politicians and activists demonizing our brave ICE officers has led to an over 8,000 percent increase in threats against DHS law enforcement. The agency stated its officers are heroically performing their congressionally mandated mission to remove criminal illegal aliens from communities across the country.

The DHS also insisted that any claim of subprime conditions at ICE detention facilities is false. Fox News Digital tried to reach Weingarten through the AFT for comment. In her own video, however, she directly challenged the agency's description of life inside Delaney Hall.

"This is one of the most despicable things that our current government does," Weingarten said in the footage as she pointed and gesticulated toward the building. "They put people, people have not committed any crimes, they are immigrants. They deport them, or they … detain them and deport them in conditions that are unimaginable."

Weingarten, who grew up about 40 miles north of New York City in Nyack, New York, said her grandparents came to the U.S. seeking a better life. She drew a parallel between their journey and migrants currently held at Delaney Hall. "We saw families coming out [of Delaney] who had just visited their loved ones… They work hard. They play by the rules. They should not be detained or deported because we have a broken immigration system," she claimed. "We should fix the immigration system, but the cruelty of this government right now is terrible."

In response to Weingarten's claims, DHS said its mission remains straightforward, enforcing laws on the books and protecting America's national security. A spokesperson told Fox News Digital that being in detention is a choice. The agency encouraged all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. It noted that the United States is offering illegal aliens $3,000 and a free flight to self-deport now.

School-choice advocate Corey DeAngelis responded to Weingarten's video by arguing the union leader wants more illegal immigrants enrolled in public schools because their enrollment increases taxpayer funding. "It's time to overturn Plyler v Doe and stop forcing taxpayers to fund education for illegals," DeAngelis tweeted, referencing a 1982 Supreme Court case wherein Eisenhower-appointed Justice William Brennan Jr. ruled for the majority that Texas could not deny undocumented school-age children access to free public education.

A 2026 Annie E. Casey Foundation analysis found that 47 states fared worse on its education index in 2024 than in 2019, with national declines in math proficiency, reading proficiency and preschool attendance. Weingarten has led the AFT since 2008. She previously led New York City's UFT from 1998 to 2009.

DeAngelis had criticized Weingarten before as well after she encouraged a boycott of Target over the Minnesota-based retailer's response to ICE operations. DeAngelis wrote for the Heritage Foundation that the AFT "wants to dictate corporate policy on immigration while its own members' students struggle with basic skills.

That mismatch should alarm every taxpayer and parent. The clip of Weingarten drew sharp criticism on X, where users argued that the teachers union leader was straying beyond education policy and diving straight into the immigration debate. Some critics shared photos of her promoting her book "Why Fascists Fear Teachers." One user wrote this: "This is wild. Randi Weingarten is bad enough in her education related field (power, indoctrination, control) but now she is expanding into immigration."

The clash comes as Weingarten and AFT have become increasingly involved in immigration fights beyond the classroom. They pressured Target over ICE operations, for instance. Critics point to persistent academic setbacks as evidence the union's leadership should be focused on education. Meanwhile, AFT describes political activism and broader civil-rights advocacy as part of its mission alongside public education. Fox News Digital also reached out to the Department of Education for comment.