Federal trespassing charges against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, stemming from a May 9th protest at an ICE facility, have been dismissed by U.S. Attorney Alina Habba. Simultaneously, Habba announced charges against Congresswoman LaMonica McIver for allegedly interfering with law enforcement during the same incident. While Mayor Baraka expressed his intention to continue advocating for humane treatment of detainees, Habba stated the dismissal doesn’t conclude the matter and invited the mayor to tour the facility. McIver, however, denounced the charges against her as politically motivated.
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Newark’s Democratic mayor, Ras Baraka, was arrested by ICE agents for attempting to inspect a detention center allegedly violating city lawsuits. Accompanying Congress members were also physically assaulted by ICE agents during the incident, highlighting escalating tensions between the agency and elected officials. Despite past calls from prominent Democrats to abolish ICE, current party leadership has largely abandoned this stance, even in the face of numerous documented abuses of power by the agency. This inaction raises concerns about the Democrats’ willingness to confront what critics describe as an increasingly authoritarian and violent agency.
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Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s arrest by Homeland Security at an ICE detention facility in New Jersey has sparked outrage and raised serious concerns about the state of civil liberties. The incident unfolded on Friday afternoon, with reports indicating that the mayor was taken into custody after allegedly trespassing and ignoring warnings to leave the Delaney Hall ICE facility.
Mayor Baraka’s visit to the facility was reportedly part of an oversight effort to assess conditions at the site, which has been the subject of controversy and criticism. His actions, however, resulted in his arrest by Homeland Security Investigations. This raises significant questions about the limits of an elected official’s authority to investigate government facilities and the potential for political motivations behind the arrest.… Continue reading
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested outside the newly opened Delaney Hall ICE detention center while protesting its opening with several Democratic members of Congress. The arrest, confirmed by both a campaign spokesperson and the Acting U.S. Attorney, stemmed from alleged trespassing and disregard of warnings to leave the facility. Mayor Baraka had been publicly contesting the center’s legality due to purported building permit issues. Rep. LaMonica McIver alleges that she and another congressmember were assaulted by ICE officers during the incident.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood