Rep. LaMonica McIver charged with assault after Newark mayor's arrest outside ICE facility
Rep. McIver is charged with assaulting or interfering with federal officers during a Newark ICE protest
The charge stems from a tense incident outside the Delaney Hall detention center
Charges against Mayor Ras Baraka were dropped; McIver's attorney says she did nothing wrong
NEW YORK - Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver, who represents Newark and parts of Essex County, is now facing a federal assault charge after what prosecutors call a physical confrontation with law enforcement officers outside an immigration detention center. The incident unfolded during the high-profile arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who had attempted to join McIver and other congressional leaders on an oversight visit.
While the charge against Baraka was dropped Monday, McIver was charged with assaulting, impeding, or interfering with officers, according to an announcement posted by Interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba on social media. The case is already drawing strong reactions in New Jersey political circles.
The backstory
The incident occurred outside Delaney Hall, an ICE-contracted detention facility in Newark, where McIver and fellow New Jersey Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman and Robert Menendez Jr. had planned a visit. Baraka reportedly attempted to join them but was stopped and ultimately arrested by federal agents.
In a clip released by the Department of Homeland Security, McIver can be seen on the facility side of a chain-link fence before crossing through the gate and joining a crowd shouting "surround the mayor." Video shows McIver pressing forward in the crowd, with her elbows making contact with a federal officer.
Homeland Security said the charge followed a "thorough review" of the footage and an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.
The other side
Habba said in a statement that dismissing the misdemeanor case against Mayor Baraka was "for the sake of moving forward." She added that her office has invited Baraka to tour Delaney Hall and committed to joining him.
However, McIver's attorney, Paul Fishman—a former U.S. attorney for New Jersey—called the decision to charge the congresswoman "spectacularly inappropriate."
"She went to Delaney Hall to do her job," Fishman said. "Rather than facilitating that inspection, ICE agents chose to escalate what should have been a peaceful situation into chaos."
What they're saying
"There's no video that supports me body slamming anyone," McIver told a national outlet in a recent interview. "We were simply there to do our job… They created that confrontation."
McIver and her congressional colleagues have maintained that the situation was escalated by federal agents and that their actions were consistent with their oversight authority.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, however, stood by the charge, saying federal agents must be protected from interference. "Assaults on federal law enforcement will not be tolerated," added Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in a post on X.
Local perspective
McIver, 38, is a Newark native who joined Congress after winning a special election in September 2024 to fill the seat of the late Rep. Donald Payne Jr. She was elected to a full term in November 2024.
Before coming to Washington, McIver served as president of the Newark City Council and previously worked in Newark's public school system. She has deep local ties and is viewed as a rising figure in the city's political landscape.
The Source
This article is based on official statements from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, the Department of Homeland Security, and legal representatives for Rep. McIver. Additional background was provided by McIver's congressional biography and verified video footage released by DHS.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
21 minutes ago
- The Hill
‘Cornhusker Clink': DHS to open new ICE migrant detention facility in Nebraska
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Tuesday the opening of a migrant detention facility in Nebraska as President Trump's administration ramps up the expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) detention capabilities. The new facility, located in the southwest part of the state, was dubbed 'Cornhusker Clink' and will house 'criminal illegal aliens' arrested by ICE, DHS said in a press release. The detention center came as a result of a partnership between the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services and ICE, expanding the capacity by up to 280 beds. The officials are using the existing minimum security prison work camp in McCook, located around 210 west of Lincoln. Today, we're announcing a new partnership with the state of Nebraska to expand detention bed space by 280 beds,' Noem said in a statement. 'Thanks to Governor [Jim] Pillen [R] for his partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country. If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Nebraska's Cornhusker Clink. Avoid arrest and self-deport now using the CBP Home App.' The administration has continued adding detention buildings nationwide to help hold migrants that agencies have arrested. DHS opened ' Alligator Alcatraz ' in the Florida Everglades last month and an East Montana detention facility in El Paso, Texas, this week. DHS will also hold up to 1,000 migrants in a ' Speedway Slammer ' detention facility in Indiana. Pillen announced Tuesday that the Nebraska National Guard will provide 'administrative and logistical' support to ICE officials based in Nebraska to help enforce immigration laws. About 20 Army National Guard soldiers will be a part of the mission, with training beginning next week, according to DHS. 'I am also proud that the Nebraska State Patrol and National Guard will be assisting ICE enforcement efforts, as well,' Pillen said in a statement. 'Homeland security starts at home, and, just as when I twice deployed troops to secure our southern border during the failed Biden administration, Nebraska will continue to do its part.'
22 minutes ago
California Republicans targeted by redistricting slam effort as ‘naked politics'
California Republicans whose congressional districts would become more favorable to Democrats if proposed new district maps are approved by voters are condemning the effort as political and harmful to voters. Democrats such as Gov. Gavin Newsom had said they would target five GOP seats, launching an intranational tit-for-tat to counter new congressional maps proposed in Texas that could net the GOP five more seats in the Lone Star State. According to an analysis by The Center for Politics at the University of Virginia published on Monday, the state's 1st Congressional District, represented by Rep. Doug LaMalfa, would become far more Democratic leaning, swinging from -24.9 points for Harris in 2024 to what would be +12.3 points for Harris if the 2024 vote was repeated with the new map. The same would happen for the 48th District, held by 12-term incumbent Rep. Darrell Issa, whose district would go from Harris -15.3 points to Harris +3.4 points. And the 3rd District held by Rep. Kevin Kiley would become a Harris +10 seat, the Center for Politics found, a flip from Trump +4. The Center also found that the 41st District represented by 17-term incumbent Rep. Ken Calvert would be "essentially eliminated" geographically, and that the 22nd District, held by Rep. David Valadao, would become more competitive. The Cook Political Report rates Kiley's current district as Likely Republican in the 2026 midterms, and rates Calvert's and Valadao's as Leaning Republican in its list of competitive races. "I'm committed to defeating Newsom's power grab in this special election," Calvert said in a statement to ABC News. "Voters decided to give redistricting powers to the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission and take it away from politicians drawing their own districts. The gerrymandered maps are exactly why voters don't trust Sacramento politicians. I will fight to keep redistricting power with our citizens." LaMalfa, meanwhile, slammed the proposed maps for tying together geographic locations that seem to have no connection to each other. "If you want to know what's wrong with these maps -- just take a look at them. How on earth does Modoc County on the Nevada and Oregon Border have any common interest with Marin County and the Golden Gate Bridge?" LaMalfa said in a statement. "Voters took this power from Sacramento for just this reason. This is naked politics at its worst. LaMalfa also criticized how California's move, he said, could spark redistricting efforts in other states -- referencing GOP-run states such as Florida and Indiana. "Mid-Decade redistricting is wrong, no matter where it's being done," he wrote. A spokesperson for Issa, Jonathan Wilcox, similarly called the effort "a pure political power grab that shouldn't pass the test of voters who already decided to keep politicians like Newsom out of reapportionment. Congressman Issa supported the initiative to create the independent commission, he believes it is the best arrangement for California, and that the state constitution is being trashed for partisan advantage." Kiley has introduced legislation in Congress that would ban mid-decade redistricting nationwide. "Make no mistake, I will win reelection to the House regardless of the proposed changes to my district. But I fully expect that the beautiful 3rd District will remain exactly as it is," Kiley noted. "We will defeat Newsom's sham initiative and vindicate the will of California voters."
Associated Press
22 minutes ago
- Associated Press
DHS Secretary says entire southern border wall to be painted black to stop people from climbing it
WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday that the entire border wall along the southern border with Mexico is going to be painted black to make it hotter and deter illegal immigration — and she credited President Trump with the idea. Noem spoke during a visit to a portion of the wall in New Mexico, where she also picked up a roller brush to help out with the painting. She touted the height of the wall as well as the depth as ways to deter people seeking to go over or under the walls. And then Noem said Homeland Security was going to be trying black paint to make the metal hotter. 'That is specifically at the request of the president, who understands that in the hot temperatures down here when something is painted black it gets even warmer and it will make it even harder for people to climb. So we are going to be painting the entire southern border wall black to make sure that we encourage individuals to not come into our country illegally,' Noem said. U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks, who attended the event with Noem, said the paint would also help deter rust. During Trump's first term, building the wall was a central focus of his hardline immigration policy. During his second term, his mass deportation agenda with arrests in the interior of the country has been the main focus, but Homeland Security will be getting about $46 billion to complete the wall as part of new funding passed by Congress this summer. Noem said they have been building about a half mile of barrier every day. 'The border wall will look very different based on the topography and the geography of where it is built,' she said. She said that in addition to barriers like the one she visited Tuesday, the department is also working on 'water-borne infrastructure.' Long sections of the roughly 2,000-mile border between the U.S. and Mexico sit along the Rio Grande River in Texas. The Trump administration is pushing forward with completing the wall at the same time that the number of people crossing the border illegally has plummeted. ___
