DOJ Charges Democratic Congresswoman With Assault After Confrontation at ICE Detention Facility

The Department of Justice is charging Congresswoman LaMonica McIver with assaulting a federal law enforcement officer during a scuffle outside a detention center in New Jersey.The charges stems from a chaotic scene outside an immigration detention center, Delaney Hall, at Newark on May 9. The Democratic mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, was charged for allegedly trespassing during the incident, and Democratic lawmakers tried to prevent his arrest. The Department of Homeland Security released a video from the incident, which it said showed Ms. McIver “assaulting an ICE agent.”In a statement, the acting United States attorney for the district of New Jersey, Alina Habba, said, “Representative LaMonica McIver assaulted, impeded, and interfered with law enforcement in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111 (a)(1).”“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,” she said.Ms. Habba also said she has “persistently made efforts to address these issues without bringing criminal charges,” but the congresswoman “declined.”The DOJ tried to negotiate a plea deal with Ms. McIver, a source told CNN.The homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, said the charges came after a “thorough review” of the video and added that “no one is above the law.”“If any person, regardless of political party, influence, or status, assaults a law enforcement officer as we witnessed Congresswoman McIver do, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she said. Ms. McIver, who has previously denied that she assaulted a federal officer, responded to the charges, writing on X, “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 said. Ms. McIver also said the charges are “purely political” and “mischaracterize and distort my actions.”The Democratic congresswoman is facing felony charges and is supposed to turn herself in, according to Fox News. A magistrate judge will lay out the specifics for when she must do so.It was not clear from Ms. Habba’s statement if there would be any charges against the other Democratic members of Congress who were at the detention center. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman and Congressman Robert Menendez Jr. were also present. Ms. Habba also said she is dropping the misdemeanor trespassing charge against Mr. Baraka “for the sake of moving forward.”“In the spirit of public interest, I have invited the mayor to tour Delaney Hall. The government has nothing to hide at this facility, and I will personally accompany the mayor so he can see that firsthand,” she said. The incident that led to the charges began when the mayor and Democratic lawmakers tried to visit the detention center, which is privately operated, as they said it was not up to date on permits. Mr. Baraka entered the gate to the facility and was arrested for trespassing. Ms. McIver and Ms. Watson Coleman were seen trying to shield Mr. Baraka as agents tried to arrest him, which resulted in the allegations of assault.

DOJ Charges Democratic Congresswoman With Assault After Confrontation at ICE Detention Facility

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