Latest news with #politicalintimidation
New York Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Hispanic Democratic Officials in Texas Plead Not Guilty to Voter Fraud
Nine Latino Democratic officials and political operatives pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in South Texas to charges of criminal voter fraud, accusations that their defenders called blatant voter suppression and political intimidation by the state's Republican attorney general. Gerry Goldstein, a lawyer for the most prominent defendant, told the presiding judge that he had filed a motion Wednesday morning to dismiss the charges and challenge the constitutionality of the state law used to prosecute his client, Juan Manuel Medina, a former chairman of the Democratic Party of Bexar County, the fourth largest in the state. Gabriel Rosales, the director of the Texas chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, called the charges 'a complete attack on democracy.' 'This is voter suppression 101,' Mr. Rosales said. The nine defendants, including Mr. Medina, were indicted last month by a South Texas district attorney working with the state's famously conservative attorney general, Ken Paxton. Six of the defendants appeared in person in a courtroom in Pearsall, Texas, while three others, including Mr. Medina, appeared via Zoom. A state judge is expected to consider the motion to dismiss the case in early October. It was the second time in less than four months that Mr. Paxton has charged prominent Latino Democratic officials with criminal 'ballot harvesting,' the usually routine act of collecting absentee ballots and bringing them to drop boxes or polling sites to be counted. A half-dozen people, including a county judge, two City Council members and a former county election administrator, were charged with voter fraud in May. The indictments stem from Mr. Paxton's 'election integrity unit,' which launched a sprawling voter fraud inquiry in Latino enclaves near San Antonio and in South Texas. Mr. Paxton has claimed that several Latino officials engaged in vote harvesting to benefit local Latino candidates. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Jersey Democrat indicted over ICE facility altercation, calls charges 'political intimidation'
Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-New Jersey, was indicted on three counts related to a confrontation with law enforcement last month at a Newark immigration detention center. Interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced the indictment on June 10. "While people are free to express their views for or against particular policies, they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities those officers serve," Habba said in a post on X. McIver was visiting the facility along with fellow Democratic Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez. An altercation occurred after officers arrested Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who attempted to join the trio in their visit. McIver is said to have then "slammed her forearms" into immigration officers, according to the criminal complaint against her. If convicted, she could face up to 17 years in prison for all three counts. Was it an overreaction? Trump deploys thousands of National Guard, Marines to Los Angeles The congresswoman has denied the accusations, saying they are unjustified. 'The facts of this case will prove I was simply doing my job and will expose these proceedings for what they are: a brazen attempt at political intimidation,' McIver said in a statement reacting to the indictment. Members of Congress, by law, can visit immigrant detention facilities unannounced. McIver's lawyer, Paul Fishman, who served as U.S. attorney in New Jersey during the Obama administration, said that the "legal process will expose this prosecution for what it truly is — political retaliation against a dedicated public servant who refuses to shy away from her oversight responsibilities." The indictment came the same day voters in New Jersey took to the polls to pick their Democratic and Republican nominees for governor. Baraka, whose arrest sparked McIver's standoff with officers, ran for the Democratic nomination but lost to Rep. Mikie Sherrill. Contributing: Sarah Wire, USA TODAY; Katie Sobko, This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LaMonica McIver indicted for confrontation with ICE officers in Newark
Reuters
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Democratic lawmaker pleads not guilty to assaulting US agents at immigration center
June 25 (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges she assaulted and impeded federal agents outside an immigration detention center in New Jersey, the lawmaker said in a social media post. McIver, who represents a district in northern New Jersey, was indicted on three federal counts after prosecutors said she struck two Department of Homeland Security agents with her forearms during a scuffle on May 9. McIver was conducting an oversight visit along with two other Democratic members of Congress at a privately run detention center in Newark, New Jersey. She resisted agents who tried to arrest the city's mayor, Ras Baraka, for trespassing at the facility, according to a criminal complaint. The charge against Baraka was later dropped. McIver has denied the allegations and accused President Donald Trump's administration of political intimidation. "To all who stand up to this administration—do not back down," McIver wrote following her court appearance. "The facts are on our side."
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Acting NJ U.S. Attorney Alina Habba says Rep. LaMonica McIver indicted
A grand jury has indicted U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver on charges related to an incident at Delaney Hall in Newark last month, said a social media post by acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba. McIver was at Delaney Hall with Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez to "inspect the treatment of ICE detainees at Delaney Hall." All three are Democrats. The congresswoman said in a statement that the 'facts of this case will prove I was simply doing my job and will expose these proceedings for what they are: a brazen attempt at political intimidation." 'This indictment is no more justified than the original charges, and is an effort by Trump's administration to dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused and scare me out of doing the work I was elected to do,' McIver said. 'But it won't work — I will not be intimidated. The facts are on our side, I will be entering a plea of not guilty, I'm grateful for the support of my community, and I look forward to my day in court.' Habba said the federal grand jury 'returned a three-count indictment' against McIver for 'forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers.' 'It is my constitutional obligation as the chief federal law enforcement officer for New Jersey to ensure that our federal partners are protected when executing their duties,' she said. 'While people are free to express their views for or against particular policies, they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities those officers serve.' The three counts have a maximum penalty of eight years for count one, an additional maximum penalty of eight years for count two and a maximum penalty of one year for count three. McIver's lawyer, Paul Fishman, who served as U.S. attorney in New Jersey during the Obama administration, said June 10 that the "legal process will expose this prosecution for what it truly is — political retaliation against a dedicated public servant who refuses to shy away from her oversight responsibilities." Earlier: NJ Rep. LaMonica McIver makes court appearance for assault charges in Newark ICE incident McIver said in a statement on May 19 that she and her colleagues 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 said. "The charges against me are purely political — they mischaracterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight." Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested at Delaney Hall on charges of trespassing, but the charges have since been dropped. He is suing Habba alleging 'false arrest and malicious prosecution.' Fishman said in May that the "decision to charge Congresswoman McIver is spectacularly inappropriate." "She went to Delaney Hall to do her job. As a member of Congress, she has the right and responsibility to see how ICE is treating detainees," Fishman said. "Rather than facilitating that inspection, ICE agents chose to escalate what should have been a peaceful situation into chaos. This prosecution is an attempt to shift the blame for ICE's behavior to Congresswoman McIver. In the courtroom, facts — not headlines — will matter." Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@ This article originally appeared on NJ U.S. Attorney Alina Habba: Rep. LaMonica McIver indicted
BBC News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
US Congresswoman LaMonica McIver indicted for impeding law enforcement
US Democratic Congresswoman LaMonica McIver has been indicted for "forcibly impeding and interfering" with federal law enforcement over a recent confrontation outside an immigration centre. A scuffle occurred during her visit to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) centre in Newark, New Jersey, on 9 May. The incident drew widespread attention, as it unfolded at a time when the Republican administration of US President Donald Trump has faced sharp criticism from opposing Democrats over its hard-line approach to McIver, who faces a maximum term of 17 years in prison, has called the charges a "brazen attempt at political intimidation" and says she will plead not guilty. A federal grand jury in New Jersey brought the three-count indictment against Ms McIver on Tuesday. It replaces the two assault charges that she previously faced. Interim Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba - who was previously Trump's personal lawyer - wrote on X: "While people are free to express their views for or against particular policies, they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities those officers serve." During their oversight visit last month, Ms McIver was joined by other members of Congress, Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez, as well as Newark Mayor Ras were visiting Delaney Hall: a 1,000-bed private facility that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has touted as the first reopened immigration centre under the new Trump footage showed jostling between police, ICE agents, journalists, protesters and the politicians. Videos showed increasingly heated discussion and a chaotic scene including police, Ice agents, journalists, the politicians and protesters. The Congress members were eventually granted access and given a tour of the building. Federal law prohibits immigration officials from blocking access to detention facilities for members of Congress seeking to conduct to the indictment, Ms McIver allegedly prevented a DHS agent from twice arresting Baraka. A trespass case against Baraka was later dropped. New Jersey mayor arrested in protest at migrant centre The indictment also alleges that Ms McIver pushed past an ICE officer "while using her forearms to strike" McIver has labelled the legal proceedings "an effort by Trump's administration to dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused"."The facts will prove I was simply doing my job", she added."We are eager to challenge these allegations head-on in court and fully expect the Congresswoman's exoneration," her lawyer Paul Fishman said in a Watson Coleman previously condemned the original complaint against Ms McIver as "an assault on civil liberties", saying "these allegations are simply incorrect and inconsistent with the facts".Habba said "today's decision by the grand jury is the next step in a process that my office will pursue to a just end".
