The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, was arrested Friday, May 9, at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility. Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba confirmed the arrest in a post on X.
“The mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon,” Habba wrote. “He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. No one is above the law.”
According to The Associated Press, Baraka was detained after he tried entering the facility through a side entrance after being denied the chance to accompany members of Congress on a scheduled tour.
Protest at Delaney Hall
Mayor Baraka and three other members of Congress were at the facility Friday, taking part in a demonstration protesting the opening of Delaney Hall, the federal immigration facility. Baraka spent the week opposing the opening of the ICE detention center, which officially opened on May 1 and is run by GEO Group, a private prison company, Fox 5 reported. The detention center is seen as a central hub of the federal government’s immigration operations in New England.
Members of Congress challenge facility’s legitimacy
New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver was at Delaney Hall on Friday, claiming Delaney Hall does not have the proper permits to be open and that congressional members have the power to conduct oversight.
“We’re here conducting an oversight visit, which we have the power to do as congressional members. That’s our authority, and so that is what we’re here for, and we’re waiting to speak to a supervisor to let us in here because, as you can see, they will not let us in,” McIver said.
New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman also attended the protest and said the federal immigration building “opened without permission from the city & in violation of local ordinances.”
After Baraka’s arrest, the representatives went to a separate ICE field office where the mayor was being held to protest.
Homeland Security denies allegations
Officials with U.S. Homeland Security said the members of Congress’ allegations are false. In a post on X, the agency stated that as a bus full of detainees entered Delaney Hall’s security gates, “a group of protestors, including two members of U.S. Congress, stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility,” adding, “The allegations by Newark politicians that Delaney does not have the proper permitting is false.”
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, accused congressional members of assaulting ICE agents and breaking into the detention facility.
“This illegal breaking and entering of a detention facility puts the safety of our law enforcement agents and detainees at risk,” she wrote.
Rep. Watson Coleman refuted the claims, posting on X that she and the other lawmakers did not “storm” the detention center.
Governor condemns arrest
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy condemned Mayor Baraka’s arrest, saying he is “outraged” by the decision.
“Over the past few months, Mayor Baraka, as well as advocates, faith leaders, and members of our congressional delegation, have protested the opening of a private immigration detention center in the city of Newark. Four years ago, I was proud to sign a law banning private immigration detention centers in New Jersey. And just last week, my administration was leading the fight to defend that law before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals,” Murphy said in a statement.
