Newark’s Mayor Ras Baraka was taken into custody Friday on charges of trespassing at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center, according to New Jersey’s interim prosecutor.
Alina Habba, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, stated that Baraka “committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings” to vacate the premises from officials with the Department of Homeland Security.
Habba criticized Baraka’s actions, asserting, “He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody.” The interim prosecutor, who previously served as a defense attorney for Donald Trump, emphasized the principle that “NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.”
Baraka, who is 55 years old and a Democrat, is currently campaigning for the governorship of New Jersey. His campaign spokesman, Kabir Moss, confirmed the mayor’s arrest at Delaney Hall, the detention center in question, as reported by NBC News.
Democratic representatives from New Jersey, including at least three members of Congress, were also present at the facility during the incident, according to a social media post by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman.
Responses from Baraka’s office and gubernatorial campaign were not immediately available when contacted by Finance Newso.
Videos shared on X by News12NJ reporter Amanda Lee exhibit a confrontation between law enforcement and demonstrators near a security entry at the center.
Other footage appears to show Baraka being escorted away by police with his hands restrained behind his back.
A representative for Watson Coleman informed NBC that the congressional members were “escorted in” to Delaney Hall after clarifying the legal basis for their presence with site officials.
The lawmakers asserted that their visit aimed to oversee operations at the facility given recent reports about other ICE centers, which have drawn significant political scrutiny amid aggressive deportation policies of the previous administration.
In contrast, Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin characterized the occurrence as “a bizarre political stunt” involving the elected officials and protesters.
She asserted that the group “stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility” as a vehicle carrying detainees was entering. McLaughlin added that protesters “holed up in a guard shack, the first security check point.”
“Had these members requested a tour, we would have facilitated a tour of the facility. This is an evolving situation,” she concluded.
Previously, Baraka’s administration had filed a lawsuit in late March to block the establishment of the Newark immigrant detention facility, arguing that the operators had not secured the necessary permits and violated municipal codes.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
