DOJ Charges NJ Rep. McIver With Assault Outside ICE Facility

Representative LaMonica McIver, a Democrat from New Jersey, has been charged by the Department of Justice with assaulting and impeding federal law enforcement officers following a protest at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark. The charges arise from a May 9 incident during a congressional oversight visit when McIver and other members of Congress, along with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, confronted ICE agents as Baraka was being arrested for alleged trespassing. According to law enforcement affidavits, McIver allegedly used physical force against officers attempting to detain Baraka, actions she vehemently denies, calling the charges politically motivated and mischaracterized. Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, a Trump ally who previously served as his attorney, announced the charges and noted that McIver declined offers to settle the case, while trespassing charges against Baraka were dropped to facilitate moving forward. The incident has highlighted the ongoing tension between immigration enforcement efforts under the Trump administration and opposition from Democratic officials, with McIver and her supporters asserting their legal right to conduct oversight and protest. The case remains contentious, reflecting broader political and legal battles over immigration policy and congressional authority.