A tense standoff at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, escalated into chaos on Friday, May 9, when Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), alongside Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and other Democratic lawmakers, clashed with federal agents during a protest against the facility’s reopening.
DHS and ICE have both confirmed they have surveillance and body worn camera footage of exactly what took place when Ras Baraka, Robert Menedez Jr, and Bonie Watson Cole illegally entered Delaney Hall and occupied a guard station, as well as LaMonica McIver assaulting an officer. pic.twitter.com/bbRVaa5sPC
— #TheFreeHawaiian (@free_hawaiian) May 10, 2025
The incident, marked by allegations of physical altercations and unauthorized entry, reminded many Americans of the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, with some critics labeling it a brazen defiance of federal authority.
“Don’t touch me, I’m a federal official,” McIver was heard screaming repeatedly as she shoved her way through federal officers defending the facility from the violent and forceful incursion.
McIver, prior to this incident had declared her party is ‘at war’ with federal government and enouraged her constituents to join the fight.
“We will not take this! We will fight back! And as I close out, because I know we’ve been out here for a long time, God damn it, shut down the city! We are at war,” she said earlier this year.
“We came to Delaney Hall today to simply do our jobs—we were met with aggression and disrespect. Members of Congress are permitted *by law* to go into ICE facilities and make sure they’re up to par. We came to see if the rights of the 100+ detainees were being upheld,” she later said.
At one point, it appeared that Congresswoman McIver assaulted a federal officer during the melee, but she has not yet been criminally charged for the attack.
The confrontation unfolded as McIver, along with Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12) and Rob Menendez (D-NJ-8), arrived at the 1,000-bed immigration detention center for what they described as a congressional oversight visit.
The group was joined by Mayor Baraka, who has vocally opposed the facility’s operation, citing local permitting issues. Tensions flared when federal officials reportedly blocked Baraka’s entry, prompting a heated argument that spilled over to the public side of the facility’s gates.
According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a group of protesters, including two unnamed members of Congress, “stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility” as a bus carrying detainees entered the premises. Video footage circulating on social media appears to show McIver, identifiable in a red jacket, engaging in a physical altercation with federal agents. In one clip, she is seen pushing against an officer, seemingly attempting to force her way through the gate. The chaotic scene, with shouting and shoving, culminated in Baraka’s arrest on charges of criminal trespassing.
Interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba condemned the actions, stating on X that Baraka “committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center.” She added, “NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.” Social media posts amplified the controversy, with some pro-Trump influencers accusing McIver of “assaulting” federal agents and likening the incident to an “insurrection.” One post claimed, “Democrat Rep. LaMonica McIver (in the red jacket) is literally throwing punches at ICE officers outside a holding facility,” though the video does not conclusively show punches being thrown.
McIver and her colleagues vehemently denied the DHS’s characterization. “That’s a lie,” McIver stated, refuting claims of storming the facility. “None of this happened.” Representative Watson Coleman echoed her, asserting that the lawmakers entered with consent and were exercising their legal oversight authority, as they had done previously at the Elizabeth Detention Center without incident. The trio issued a joint statement clarifying that they were at Delaney Hall to inspect conditions amid concerns over its compliance with local ordinances and the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
The incident has sparked polarized reactions. Critics, particularly on X, have drawn parallels to the January 6th Capitol riot, citing the physical confrontation with law enforcement and attempts to breach a federal facility. One user wrote, “J6ers spent 3 years in solitary confinement for doing less than this,” referencing the legal consequences faced by Capitol rioters. Others, however, argue the comparison is overstated, noting that the Newark protest involved elected officials asserting congressional oversight, not an attempt to disrupt government functions.
Local activist Viri Martinez of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice described the scene as chaotic, with “yelling and pushing” and officers “swarming” Baraka, who was handcuffed and detained for several hours before his release around 8 p.m. McIver was seen demanding Baraka’s release, with protesters chanting “Let him out!”
The Delaney Hall facility has been a flashpoint in Newark, with city officials arguing it operates without proper permits. Earlier this year, the city filed a lawsuit to block its use, a move supported by McIver, Baraka, and other New Jersey Democrats. The protest coincides with heightened tensions over President Donald Trump’s renewed immigration crackdowns, including a January ICE raid in Newark that McIver and others condemned for targeting citizens and immigrants alike.
As the first Black woman to represent New Jersey’s 10th District and a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, McIver has positioned herself as a fierce advocate for her constituents,…