Dem lawmaker fundraises off federal assault charges after ICE facility confrontation: 'Doing my job'
Print Close
By Cameron Arcand, Alexis McAdams
Published May 20, 2025
FIRST ON FOX: New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver is fundraising off her federal charges for allegedly "assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement" earlier this month at the gates of Delaney Hall, which is a privately-operated Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark.
"As you know, Trump is using his Department of Justice to target political opponents. Less than two weeks ago, I was doing my job and conducting oversight at an ICE facility in my city," the fundraising text obtained by Fox News Digital stated.
"Now, the Trump admin has filed charges against me. This is a first-and it's a flashing red light for our democracy," it continues. "I'm sounding the alarm and asking you to donate now so we can fight these charges and keep speaking truth to power."
FEDERAL CHARGES FILED AGAINST DEM CONGRESSWOMAN FOLLOWING CONFRONTATION AT ICE FACILITY
Investigators say McIver assaulted two federal agents at the Delaney Hall, according to the charging documents.
Prosecutors say one victim was an HSI agent, and the other was an ICE agent."
Law enforcement says McIver assaulted the agents when she "slammed her forearm into the body of a uniformed HSI agent. & reached out and tried to restrain the agent by forcibly grabbing him." Then, after Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested, McIver allegedly "pushed an ICE officer & used her forearms to forcibly strike the agent."
BLUE STATE POLITICAL BATTLE INTENSIFIES AFTER DEM MAYOR'S ARREST AT ICE FACILITY: 'OUTRAGED'
According to the documents, McIver created a "human shield" and blocked agents from handcuffing Baraka after he ignored numerous warnings to leave the property and told him he would be arrested.
When the HSI agent told the mayor he was going to arrest him, McIver interjected, yelling, "Hell no! Hell no! Hell no!"
CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE
The HSI agent then ordered the mayor to put his hands behind his back and displayed his handcuffs. So, McIver and other members of Congress "surrounded the Mayor and prevented HSI from handcuffing him and taking him into custody," according to prosecutors.
DEM LAWMAKERS DEFEND 'STORMING' OF ICE FACILITY, SAY TRUMP ADMIN IS 'LYING AT ALL LEVELS'
In a statement after the charges were announced, McIver said that she is "thankful for the outpouring of support" she's gotten and that the "truth" will be "laid out clearly in court."
"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," she stated.
"The charges against me are purely political—they mischaracterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight," McIver added.
DHS SAYS 'ARRESTS ARE STILL ON THE TABLE' AFTER NEW JERSEY HOUSE DEMS CAUGHT ON CAMERA 'STORMING' ICE FACILITY
Baraka had a federal trespassing charge against him that was dropped by acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba, but the mayor said he stands in solidarity with McIver.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"Representative LaMonica McIver assaulted, impeded, and interfered with law enforcement in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111 (a)(1)," Habba said in a letter shared on X Monday. "That conduct cannot be overlooked by the chief federal law enforcement official in the State of New Jersey, and it is my Constitutional obligation to ensure that our federal law enforcement is protected when executing their duties."
Fox News Digital reached out to the McIver campaign for comments about the texts and both the campaign and her official office about the charging documents. The Democrat represents a deep blue district that includes Newark. Print Close
URL
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-lawmaker-fundraises-off-federal-assault-charges-after-ice-facility-confrontation-doing-my-job
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Families of Flight 3407 say meeting with Sean Duffy was ‘encouraging'
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The families of Flight 3407 were in Washington on Wednesday continuing their fight to keep air travel safe. They met with the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to announce their opposition to FAA nominee Bryan Bedford. During a news conference after the meeting, families said they left feeling slightly more encouraged than how they felt after Bedford's hearing earlier this month. 'He listened to us and said he will hold Bedford accountable,' said Karen Eckert, who lost her sister Beverly in the Flight 3407 crash. 'We will hold Secretary Duffy accountable too, that he does hold the line on safety.' 'We will continue to vigilantly watch the FAA and secretary Duffy to make sure that he does what he says, and be assured that the families of Flight 3407 will not go away,' said Marilyn Kausner, who lost her daughter Elly in the crash. In 2009, Continental Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed in a home in Clarence Center, killing all 49 people on board and one person on the ground. Investigators determined the cause of the crash was pilot error. For over 16 years, families have worked with lawmakers to pass stricter FAA regulations with pilot training and fatigue. In 2010, the Airline Safety Act was passed, which requires a minimum of 1,500 flight hours before becoming a pilot. Families said Bedford has a history of advocating for fewer training hours. If he's at the head of the FAA, families are worried he can reverse everything they have worked for. Duffy told the families that he is Bedford's boss and has no plans to change the rule. 'Our meeting today was essentially the beginning, hopefully of an open dialogue with the current administration and there clearly were some welcoming signs, but the door has been left open and that does give us reason to have pause,' said Scott Maurer, who lost his daughter in the crash. Jennifer West and her daughter Summer were among the families who talked to Duffy. Summer lost her father, Ernie, in the crash. Summer read a letter to Duffy. It read in part, 'growing up without him wasn't just sad, it was confusing and isolating.' She went on to say in the letter, 'if weakening this law means another child loses their parent the way I lost mine, it's not worth it.' Senator Chuck Schumer and Congressman Tim Kennedy also met with the families on Wednesday in Washington to assure them that they will continue to fight with them for air safety. Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Whitfield drops out of Buffalo mayoral race, Scanlon remains undecided
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — State Senator Sean Ryan will run for Buffalo mayor on the Democratic Party line this November after winning the primary election, but uncertainty remains for who will continue their campaigns through the general election. State Senator Sean Ryan came out on top Tuesday night, beating acting Buffalo Mayor Chris Scanlon in the Democratic primary. Ryan believes his time spent working in Albany is what set him apart from the other candidates. Sean Ryan wins Buffalo Democratic mayor primary 'The state experience is vitally important because I know what state government funds,' Ryan said. 'I know when cities come to Albany to ask for help, how to ask for it and how the state responds to it.' Scanlon closed out the night 3,000 votes behind Ryan, with most of Scanlon's success being in South Buffalo. He was emotional when talking about the effort his team put into his campaign. 'I can't tell you how much it means to me,' Scanlon said. 'Just the hours that went into this, I can't thank you enough.' Prior to the results on Tuesday, Scanlon said he will be on the ballot in November and that he secured the Good Neighbors party, but as of Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for Scanlon said he has not decided if he will run again and will be discussing further with his family. How did each area of Buffalo vote in the mayoral primary? Former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield told WIVB News 4 Wednesday evening that he is officially stepping down and out of the race with no intention of running as a third-party candidate. He went on to say that he and his team are going to stay involved in the community, but it will be in a different way rather than pursuing the mayor's office. He concluded by saying he will pursue justice and equity for people in Buffalo moving forward and will hold elected officials accountable. Community activist Michael Gainer could be on the ballot after successfully creating his own line: the Restore Buffalo Party Line. Winners of town supervisor primary races around Western New York 'I'm running for Mayor because Buffalo deserves a choice in this election. Sean Ryan is the handpicked candidate of the same Democratic Party machine that's overseen Buffalo's decades of decline,' Republican endorsed candidate James Gardner said in a statement. 'Our city is struggling, downtown is hollowing out, crime is rising, and working families are getting squeezed. With the support of the Republican and Conservative parties, I'm taking my campaign to every block club, every neighborhood, and every voter looking for a safer, stronger, and more affordable Buffalo. I welcome every voter who cares about our city to join our campaign.' The general election will be held on Nov. 4. Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station of WIVB. See more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' is getting more expensive as the world's attention is on Iran
The long-awaited summer collision course for President Trump's economic agenda is here and now competing for attention with geopolitics. The competing storylines are playing out — just in parallel — after a weekend where the president's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" saw a new, higher price tag and the removal of key provisions in developments that were fully overshadowed by a weekend attack on Iran. Trump's priorities for taxes and the debt ceiling — not to mention tariffs — still face key deadlines in the weeks ahead, even as foreign affairs take center stage. On Saturday evening, shortly after the attacks on Iran commenced, Congress's Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) even released an analysis that made official how recent Senate changes to Trump's tax-cut bill are likely to increase the package's price tag by hundreds of billions of dollars. The group found that the Senate's changes on the tax front — once economists untangled a key budget gimmick — mean the bill will potentially add about $4.2 trillion to the deficits in the years ahead if passed as is. The bill is also undergoing a close examination by the Senate parliamentarian, who is moving section by section and has already deemed some provisions — such as defunding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and making cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — are not in line with Senate reconciliation rules. More changes are likely coming this week that could further increase the price tag and political pressure, even as key Republicans are still saying they will vote no, throwing into doubt a GOP goal of final votes within days. It all could also have near-term economic impacts. Wells Fargo head of global fixed income strategy Brian Rehling said in a recent Yahoo Finance appearance that developments in the bill could be "more consequential" to things like interest rates for the time being over even signals from the Federal Reserve. These developments come just weeks before Trump and the Republicans' self-imposed deadline to get the bill signed into law by July 4. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said that means the Senate will need to pass this bill this week to keep the timeline on pace. The weekend's Joint Committee on Taxation analysis focused specifically on the Senate Finance Committee's tax proposals and offered a headline number that would appear to be good news for fiscal hawks: It found the projected cost of the revised bill comes to about $441 billion over the coming decade. But that calculation came from an accounting maneuver known as a "current policy" baseline, which allows the bill to be calculated assuming current tax levels stay the same. That means Congress can say the cost of extending expiring provisions in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is free, at least for accounting purposes. Republicans defend the practice, with Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo offering that it "more accurately reflects reality." But the bottom line is that these zeroed-out tax extensions are projected to add about $3.8 trillion to the national debt, versus the scenario of Congress doing nothing. "Ignore the $441 number, which is both trying to hide the cost of extensions and gimmick some specific policies to make them look cheaper," offered Marc Goldwein of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget following the release. Andrew Lautz of the Bipartisan Policy Center also offered a detailed breakdown of the differences brought by the assumptions, such as how it makes the approximately $2.1 trillion in costs from extending individual tax rate cuts look like they instead come to $83 billion. Goldwein, Lautz, and others say the full price tag that should be considered is the total impact to the nation's debt of $4.2 trillion over the next decade. The new price tag projections also come as Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough is going through the bill line by line to see if it complies with the Senate's strict reconciliation rules. It's part of a wonky Senate process known colloquially as a "Byrd bath," after a rule enshrined by Robert Byrd of West Virginia, that sets limits on what can be fast-tracked and what is subject to the normal 60-vote threshold. MacDonough has already analyzed the Banking, Commerce, Judiciary, and Homeland Security committee portions of the bill and found a series of provisions that must be taken out. So far, pieces that appear set to be removed from the bill include one that would have placed a funding cap on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and others that cut the SNAP program. The apparent removal of cuts to the SNAP program around state matching funds could have a significant fiscal impact. Those provisions were previously estimated to save roughly $128 billion. One other closely watched provision by the tech community — to cut broadband funding for states that regulate artificial intelligence — has been allowed to stay in but still faces political opponents pushing to have it struck from the package. It's a series of rulings that Republicans contend aren't yet final but appear set to change the makeup of the overall package. "The Byrd Rule is enshrined in law for a reason, and Democrats are making sure it is enforced," Oregon's Jeff Merkley, the top Democratic senator on the Budget Committee, said in a statement. Even more significant changes could be coming in the days ahead, with the parliamentarian scheduled to take a pass at the Senate Finance Committee's portion of the bill. That's where the biggest ticket items reside, such as tax provisions and Medicaid cuts. Ben Werschkul is a Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance. Click here for political news related to business and money policies that will shape tomorrow's stock prices Sign in to access your portfolio
