A New Jersey nursing professor has filed a $500,000 legal claim against the Trump administration, alleging federal immigration agents threw her to the ground and fractured her kneecap while she attempted to provide medical assistance outside a Newark detention facility. Video footage appears to show the May 25 incident.
What Happened Outside Delaney Hall
Norma Bowe, a nurse clinician and associate professor of public health at Kean University, was operating her mobile health clinic outside Newark’s Delaney Hall detention center when someone requested her help with an injured person near the facility’s gates. Bowe runs the clinic through the Reformed Church of Highland Park, providing blood pressure checks, cancer screenings, mental health support, and first aid to families visiting detained individuals. She visits the facility approximately twice a month.
According to Bowe’s account, she observed a young woman being dragged along the ground by agents, screaming for help with her shirt pulled off. As Bowe moved closer wearing a bright red stethoscope, she felt someone grab the back of her shirt. The administrative claim alleges one masked agent approached from behind while a second came from her right side, throwing her forward with enough force that she became airborne before striking the pavement.
Injuries and Federal Response
Bowe landed on her face and knee, suffering a fractured kneecap and concussion symptoms. She injured her hand attempting to break the fall. The filing states members of the public assisted Bowe after the incident, while the involved agents and other federal officers at the scene offered no help. Bowe said she immediately sat up because she feared the agents might approach her again. She returned to her mobile clinic before seeking treatment at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to the specific allegations raised in Bowe’s claim. A DHS spokesperson instead referred reporters to a statement issued after the May 25 incident without addressing the details of Bowe’s injuries or the circumstances surrounding her fall.
Context Behind the Confrontation
The incident occurred during heightened tensions at Delaney Hall, where detainees had staged hunger and labor strikes. Advocates had raised concerns about medical care, food quality, and treatment conditions inside the facility. Bowe had been asked to provide additional medical support during Memorial Day weekend specifically because of the hunger strike. Earlier that day, she assessed two children experiencing breathing difficulties after learning they could not visit their father. Bowe began visiting the detention center regularly after the husband of one of her students was detained the previous year.