House Defeats Censure for Rep. McIver with GOP-Democrat Support

The House voted to table a GOP-led effort to censure Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey following her indictment on charges related to a May confrontation with law enforcement at a New Jersey immigration detention center. The censure motion, introduced by Rep. Clay Higgins, sought to reprimand McIver and remove her from the House Homeland Security Committee but was blocked by a coalition of all Democrats and five Republicans, with two additional Republicans voting present. McIver faces three criminal counts, including forcibly impeding federal officers, which could carry a maximum sentence of 17 years, though she denies the charges, calling them politically motivated to deter legislative oversight. The incident involved a chaotic scene at the Delaney Hall ICE facility where McIver and other lawmakers attempted to tour the center amid protests over immigrant treatment, during which Newark's mayor was arrested. McIver criticized the censure attempt as a punitive measure by Republicans unwilling to conduct real oversight, asserting she would not be intimidated. The vote and charges have sparked debate about congressional oversight and partisan responses to enforcement of immigration policies under the current administration.