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Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) issued a statement after the Justice Department announced charges against her related to the incident at Newark’s Delaney Hall detention center.
“Earlier this month, I joined my colleagues to inspect the treatment of ICE detainees at Delaney Hall in my district. We were fulfilling our lawful oversight responsibilities, as members of Congress have done many times before, and our visit should have been peaceful and short. Instead, ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation when they chose to arrest Mayor Baraka,” McIver said.
“The charges against me are purely political — they mischaracterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight. This administration will never stop me from working for the people in our district and standing up for what is right. I am thankful for the outpouring of support I have received and I look forward to the truth being laid out clearly in court,” she added.
My statement on the charges filed against me: pic.twitter.com/urxCAt1ZEc
— Rep. LaMonica McIver (@RepLaMonica) May 20, 2025
A closer look:
Per CNN:
The Department of Justice charged Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver with assaulting federal law enforcement during a chaotic melee that erupted outside of an ICE detention facility in her home state of New Jersey, acting US Attorney Alina Habba said Monday.
Prosecutors will, however, drop the federal trespassing charge against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested during the confrontation, Habba said in a news release.
The scuffle outside the detention facility as protesters, lawmakers and Homeland Security officers pushed against each other, thrust the political battle between the administration and Democratic lawmakers over President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policy agenda into a new stage – charging a federal lawmaker with criminal wrongdoing.
“No one is above the law — politicians or otherwise,” Habba said, accusing McIver of assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement. “It is the job of this office to uphold justice impartially, regardless of who you are.”
“Today my office has charged Congresswoman McIver with violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1) for assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement,” Habba said.
🚨 Today my office has charged Congresswoman McIver with violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1) for assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/TV00uwRtKq
— US Attorney Habba (@USAttyHabba) May 19, 2025
A closer look:
ABC News reports:
Baraka said in a statement on X that he was glad the trespassing charge against him was dismissed, but that he stands with McIver and believes she will be “vindicated.”
“I want to be clear: I stand with LaMonica, and I fully expect her to be vindicated,” the mayor wrote.
Top House Democrats also released a joint statement defending McIver on Monday, vowing to “vigorously” respond to what they say is an illegitimate abuse of power.
“An attack on one of us is an attack on the American people. House Democrats will respond vigorously in the days to come at a time, place and manner of our choosing,” the leaders said.
Additionally, the party leaders noted that McIver toured the facility after the alleged altercation. “There is no credible evidence that Rep. McIver engaged in any criminal activity, and she would not have been permitted to tour the facility had she done anything wrong,” the lawmakers claimed.