NEWARK, N.J. — Federal prosecutors charged Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) with assaulting and interfering with law enforcement during a confrontation outside an ICE detention facility last week, while a separate trespassing charge against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was dropped.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced the misdemeanor assault charge Monday, citing McIver’s alleged violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1). The charge stems from an incident where McIver reportedly clashed with federal agents during the arrest of Mayor Baraka outside Delaney Hall, a federal immigration detention center in Newark.
“The conduct cannot be overlooked by the chief federal law enforcement official in the State of New Jersey,” Habba said in an official statement. She added that her office has “persistently made efforts to address these issues without bringing criminal charges,” but McIver had declined all offers to resolve the matter without prosecution.
McIver has denied the allegations, calling the charges “purely political” in a public statement. She claimed she was assaulted during the scuffle and said the federal government is attempting “to criminalize and deter legislative oversight.”
The Department of Homeland Security cited body camera footage that it says shows McIver elbowing an ICE agent during the arrest of Mayor Baraka, who was initially charged with trespassing.
Mayor Baraka charges dismissed
U.S. Attorney Habba said her office has agreed to dismiss the misdemeanor charge against Mayor Baraka “for the sake of moving forward.” In a gesture of transparency, Habba invited Baraka to tour Delaney Hall and said she would accompany him personally, stating, “The government has nothing to hide at this facility.”
Habba emphasized that dropping the charge against Baraka does not end the matter entirely and reiterated that her office supports congressional oversight in general — but not in this particular case.
“The citizens of New Jersey deserve unified leadership so we can get to work to keep our state safe,” Habba said.
Tensions grow between state and federal officials
The legal action comes amid heightened tensions between local leaders and the Trump administration over immigration enforcement. McIver, a vocal critic of the administration’s deportation efforts, is the first federal officeholder charged under a stepped-up prosecution strategy targeting officials accused of interfering with federal operations.
Habba insisted the charges are not politically motivated, stating, “No one is above the law — politicians or otherwise.”
The case now moves forward in federal court in New Jersey.