Federal prosecutors have charged Democratic New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver on Monday with assaulting law enforcement officers during a political stunt at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Newark, N.J., earlier in May.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced the charges, saying McIver “assaulted, impeded, and interfered with law enforcement” in violation of federal law during a confrontation at Delaney Hall Detention Facility. The charges stem from what authorities say was an orchestrated attempt by McIver to disrupt operations at the ICE center under the guise of a congressional oversight visit.
“I have persistently made efforts to address these issues without bringing criminal charges and have given Representative McIver every opportunity to come to a resolution, but she has unfortunately declined,” Habba said in an official statement. “No one is above the law — politicians or otherwise.” (RELATED: ‘They Made This A Violent Scene’: New Jersey Democrats Caught In ICE Facility Mayhem Point Finger At Agency)
In response, McIver claimed the charges were politically motivated and misrepresented her conduct.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
The announcement of charges against McIver came alongside the dismissal of a separate misdemeanor trespassing charge against Democratic Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who had also visited the facility in protest. Habba said Baraka would be invited to tour Delaney Hall under her supervision.
“Congressional oversight is an important constitutional function, and one that I fully support,” Habba added. “However, that is not at issue in this case.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, formerly a registered Democrat, backed Habba’s stance and made it clear that the administration will not tolerate assaults on federal law enforcement and remains committed to protecting agents who safeguard national security. (RELATED: Jasmine Crockett Calls Republicans ‘Inherently’ Violent As She Shrugs Off Her Own Party’s Extremism)
Baraka was arrested after attempting to join Democratic New Jersey Rep. Robert Menendez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and McIver for a scheduled tour of the Delaney Hall immigrant detention facility. ICE officers allegedly blocked Baraka’s entry, sparking a heated exchange before taking him into custody, according to eyewitnesses and video footage.
Menendez and McIver blamed ICE agents for the confrontation outside Delaney Hall, accusing them on CNN of provoking the incident that led to Baraka’s arrest. When pressed by host Dana Bash about allegations that she body-slammed an officer, McIver denied the claim and criticized the Department of Homeland Security for mischaracterizing the encounter.
This is a developing story that will be updated with more information.
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