Newark mayor released after being arrested at ICE facility during protest with congressional Dems
Newark Mayor released after protest arrest
The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, has been released following his arrest at a federal immigration detention center where he has been protesting its opening this week.
UPDATE: A newer version of this story can be found at this link.
NEW JERSEY - Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested Friday at a new federal immigration detention center he has been protesting against and was held in custody for several hours.
Baraka was released shortly after 8 p.m. and, after stepping out of an SUV with flashing emergency lights, told waiting supporters: "The reality is this: I didn't do anything wrong."
The mayor said he could not speak about his case, citing a promise he made to lawyers and the judge. But he voiced full-throated support for everyone living in his community, immigrants included.
"All of us here, every last one of us, I don’t care what background you come from, what nationality, what language you speak," Baraka said, "at some point we have to stop these people from causing division between us."
Mayor arrested
What we know:
A spokesperson from Ras Baraka for Governor Campaign confirmed Mayor Baraka had been arrested and detained by ICE at around 3 p.m.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba posted that the mayor "committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center," and that he had been taken into custody.
Baraka, a Democrat who is running to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy, has embraced the fight with the Trump administration over illegal immigration.
He has aggressively pushed back against the construction and opening of the 1,000-bed detention center, arguing that it should not be allowed to open because of building permit issues.
Linda Baraka, the mayor’s wife, accused the federal government of targeting her husband.
"They didn’t arrest anyone else. They didn’t ask anyone else to leave. They wanted to make an example out of the mayor," she said, adding that she had not been allowed to see him.
Delaney's recent opening
Timeline:
Mayor Baraka had been protesting the opening of Delaney Hall throughout the week – Delaney Hall is an ICE detention center that opened May 1, according to the private prison company that operates the center, GEO Group.
Baraka's office issued a statement the day the opening of the detainment center was announced: "Delaney Hall cannot lawfully open in Newark at this time."
He's argued that the 1,000-bed detention center should not be allowed to open because of building permit issues.
Baraka was attempting to join a scheduled tour of the facility being taken by three of New Jersey’s congressional delegation, Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver, and Bonnie Watson Coleman. when he was taken into custody, The Associated Press reports. An argument arose when federal officials blocked his entry, prompting Baraka to attempt to enter through a side gate.
Witnesses say federal agents "threw organizers to the ground" before they handcuffed Baraka and took him into custody. He is being held at an ICE field office on Frelinghuysen Avenue in Newark.
Supporters of the mayor have gathered outside the field office to protest his arrest.
Rep. LaMonica McIver says she and Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman were assaulted by ICE Officers at Delaney Hall.
"They not only arrested the mayor of Newark but put their hands on two members of Congress."
What happened:
In video of the altercation shared with The Associated Press, a federal official in a jacket with the logo of the Homeland Security Investigations can be heard telling Baraka he cannot join a tour of the facility because "you are not a congress member."
Baraka then left the secure area, rejoining protesters on the public side of the gate. Video showed him speaking through the gate to a man in a suit, who said: "They’re talking about coming back to arrest you."
"I’m not on their property. They can’t come out on the street and arrest me," Baraka replied.
Minutes later several ICE agents, some wearing face coverings, surrounded him and others on the public side. As protesters cried out, "Shame," Baraka was dragged back through the gate in handcuffs.
"The ICE personnel came out aggressively to arrest him and grab him," said Julie Moreno, a New Jersey state captain of American Families United. "It didn’t make any sense why they chose that moment to grab him while he was outside the gates."
Several civil rights and immigration reform advocates, as well as government officials, condemned Baraka’s arrest. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, whose office is defending a state law barring private immigration detention facilities, criticized the arrest during a seemingly peaceful protest and said no state or local law enforcement agencies were involved.
Rep. Menendez said in a statement that as members of Congress, they have the legal right to carry out oversight at DHS facilities without prior notice and have done so twice already this year. But on Friday, "Throughout every step of this visit, ICE attempted to intimidate everyone involved and impede our ability to conduct oversight."
What they're saying:
"I am outraged by the unjust arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka earlier this afternoon outside of Delaney Hall in Newark," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement.
"Over the past few months, Mayor Baraka, as well as advocates, faith leaders, and members of our Congressional delegation, have protested the opening of a private immigration detention center in the city of Newark," the statement read.
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker posted a statement on X, saying "Law enforcement officers should have deescalated this situation," and calling for the mayor's immediate release.
New Jersey Senator Andy Kim also called for Baraka's immediate release, calling his arrest "shocking."
"I’ve reached out to DHS Secretary directly and am in touch with the members of Congress who conducted the oversight inspection."
New Jersey Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill both criticized the Trump administration's decision to reopen Delaney Hall in their respective statements – Gottheimer referred to the detention center as "an environment ripe with mistreatment and abuse," while Sherrill said reopening the Hall "won't fix our broken immigration system."
The Source: This article includes reporting from state, city and local officials, as well as The Associated Press and tweets from several government officials.