After Ras Baraka was arrested outside of an ICE facility, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver demanded that he be released.
Following his arrest outside of an ICE detention facility, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver demanded that Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark, be released. McIver and other lawmakers were among those who came to protest outside the incarceration facility in Newark, New Jersey, on Friday, May 9, 2025.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is officially charging Democratic Representative McIver for allegedly assaulting federal law enforcement agents during the tumultuous scene at the ICE facility in her home state of New Jersey, Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba revealed Monday.
Habba, however, said in a news release that Mayor Ras Baraka, who was taken into custody after the altercation, will not face federal charges.
As protesters, congressmen, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials clashed, the demonstration outside the ICE detention complex descended into chaos. The political conflict between the Biden administration and Democratic lawmakers over former President Donald Trump’s stringent immigration policies reached a new level with this encounter, which finally resulted in the filing of criminal charges against a sitting member of Congress.
“No one is above the law—whether a politician or not,” Habba stated. According to her, McIver assaulted, obstructed, and interfered with law enforcement. “It is this office’s duty to pursue justice impartially, no matter who the individual is.”
McIver responded by describing the accusations against her as “purely political” in a statement. She said they were intended to criminalize and stifle congressional oversight, and they misrepresented and distorted her activities.
Sources with knowledge of the case claim that McIver and the DOJ had tried to work out a plea agreement that would have ended the case without charges. Habba, however, said in her statement on Monday that McIver “rejected” attempts to come to a consensus.
The DOJ has not yet announced whether it would file charges against Democratic Representatives Robert Menendez Jr. and Bonnie Watson Coleman, the other two members of Congress who were in the ICE facility with McIver.
When the three members of Congress visited the ICE detention center in Newark on May 9, the incident started. They asserted that the facility’s authorization for the visit was out of date and improper.
Mayor Baraka tried to enter the building with the lawmakers after the visit was over. He was caught as soon as he left the facility’s walled area, after originally complying with federal officers’ demands to quit.
McIver and other demonstrators surrounded Baraka as he was being brought into detention, which resulted in more altercations with federal agents. Noting that McIver had invited Baraka to attend the visit, Habba said on Monday that she was dismissing the charges against him “in the interest of moving forward.”
In a statement, Baraka stated, “I’m glad the U.S. Attorney agreed that the case should be dropped,” and he expressed his willingness to work with Habba on future projects. Additionally, he reiterated his dedication to making sure the ICE facility conforms with local laws.
Mayor Baraka stated to CNN’s Abby Phillip later on Monday that he thinks McIver will be exonerated of all charges in court.
While on “NewsNight,” Baraka stated, “I didn’t see anything like what they’re accusing her of.” “I firmly think the congresswoman will be proven right.”
McIver pushed past federal officials with her body to get to Baraka, who was being brought away in handcuffs, according to video footage captured during the altercation. During the altercation, she is also seen pushing officers with her arms.
Secretary Kristi Noem and other DHS officials charged McIver with assaulting law enforcement. Noem called the members’ actions on Capitol Hill “lawless” and “beyond the dignity of this body.”
In the past, McIver rejected all charges of violence. “I honestly don’t even know how to body slam someone, and there is no video showing me doing anything of the sort,” she claimed in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday’s “State of the Union.”
The allegations are an attempt to deflect attention from ICE officials who exacerbated the incident, according to her lawyer Paul Fishman.
She has the obligation and the right to monitor ICE’s treatment of detainees as a member of Congress, according to Fishman. “ICE agents decided to turn what should have been a peaceful situation into chaos rather than assisting that oversight.”
The legal action against McIver was swiftly denounced by House Democratic leadership as “extreme, morally bankrupt,” and “lacking any basis in law or fact.”
In a joint statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and a number of other caucus leaders said, “The actions taken by the so-called U.S. Attorney in New Jersey are an open attempt by the Trump administration to intimidate Congress and interfere with our ability to serve as a check on an out-of-control executive branch.” “All those accountable for this misuse of authority will face consequences.”
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