MORRISTOWN - The Trump Administration's immigration crackdown is "brutal," inconsistent with American values and also built on a lie.

No, the "worst of the worst" are not being rounded up. People like Margarita Cielo Balbuena are.

The owner of a Mexican restaurant in Dover, Balbuena was recently freed after spending two months in the Elizabeth Detention Center.

She spoke of her ordeal - rotten food, lousy medical care and at times abusive guards - to a receptive, and top shelf audience, Tuesday morning at the Calvary Baptist Church.

That group included Hakeem Jeffries, who as House Minority Leader, is one of the highest-ranking Democrats in the country.

Jeffries journeyed here at the invitation of Rep. Analilia Mejia to speak to relatives of New Jersey residents held in detention centers, most notably Delaney Hall in Newark. This is Mejia's 11ith District.

The relatives on hand included those of Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, who died at Delaney Hall earlier this month.

Also on hand was Rep. Rob Menendez, who said:

"No one is safe in Trump's America." Menendez' district covers Hudson County and includes many Hispanic people.

Jeffries said tax dollars should be spent to help people, not to brutalize and kill law abiding immigrants and at times American citizens.

It was Jeffries who spoke of President Donald Trump saying he wanted to deport the "worst of the worst." He said we now know that was an obvious falsehood.

Balbuena said she was arrested and detained while her son, who is an American citizen, watched.

Bringing things back to New Jersey, Jeffries said Delaney Hall, which is privately-run, should be closed.

An obvious question as the event went on was, outrage aside, what can Democrats do about this now.

Mejia spoke about raising awareness and not stepping back.

"We need to give voice to what is occurring," she said, adding that every American should care about what's happening.

The midterm election is now less than three months away and Democrats are hoping to win control of at least one house of Congress. That would give them more leverage than they have now.

Jeffries said that along with immigration, affordability will be a big issue.

In the meantime, he said Democrats will proceed with "intensity" and do as much as they can under the current conditions.

He said their supporters should not give up hope and took credit for some recent Cabinet shuffles in Washington despite the Dems' minority status.

"We drove Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem out of town," Jeffries said.