<\/p>\n
This story is still unfolding. Stay tuned for updates…<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tMayor Ras Baraka of Newark, a Democrat, was arrested on Friday afternoon at a newly reopened facility for immigrant detention in Newark, the biggest city in New Jersey.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tMayor Baraka was present with three Democratic members of Congress from the state at Delaney Hall, a detention center managed by the private firm GEO Group under a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tThe facility, which can house 1,196 detainees and is the first to open since President Donald Trump’s re-election in January, began accepting detainees on May 1 amidst an ongoing legal dispute concerning its operations.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tAn online video captures a heated exchange between Mayor Baraka, who is a gubernatorial candidate and a critic of the ICE’s actions under the Trump administration, and individuals wearing blue jackets marked “police.”\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to PIX11<\/em>:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tWitnesses reported that the arrest occurred after Mayor Baraka tried to accompany a scheduled tour of the facility with New Jersey Representatives Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver, and Bonnie Watson Coleman. When federal authorities denied him entry, a heated confrontation ensued, said Viri Martinez, an activist with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. The altercation continued outside the facility gates.<\/p>\n \t“There was shouting and shoving,” Martinez recounted. “Officers then surrounded Mayor Baraka, threw an organizer to the ground, handcuffed the mayor, and placed him in an unmarked vehicle.”\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n \n\tJournalist Amanda Lee from New Jersey’s News 12<\/em> captured footage of the crowd near the gate and Mayor Baraka being taken away in handcuffs.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tAlina Habba, the interim U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, stated online that Mayor Baraka “committed trespass and ignored several warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to leave the ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon. He knowingly chose to disobey the law. We will not tolerate such behavior in this state. He has been detained. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.”\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tThe mayor’s office informed PIX11<\/em> that he was taken to an ICE field office at 620 Frelinghuysen Ave. in Newark and assured the public they were closely monitoring the situation to provide further details as they become available.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tThe Congress members clarified on social media their purpose at the facility was for oversight. Watson Coleman stated, “We are at Delaney Hall, an ICE prison in Newark that opened without the city’s consent and against local laws. We’ve heard about conditions in other ICE facilities and are here to see for ourselves.”\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tThe U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement which did not mention Mayor Baraka’s arrest but reported, “as a bus of detainees was entering Delaney Hall Detention Center, a group of protestors, including two U.S. House Representatives, breached the gate and entered the facility,” identifying Menendez and Watson Coleman by name.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tDHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin commented, “Congress members forcefully entering a detention center is not just a strange political act; it endangers the safety of our law enforcement personnel and detainees. Congress members are not exempt from the law and cannot illegally enter facilities. If they had requested a tour, we would have arranged it. This situation is developing.”\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tThe department also countered claims by Newark officials about Delaney lacking proper permits, asserting they possess valid permits and have passed all necessary inspections for plumbing, electricity, and fire safety.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tIn a lengthy social media response, Watson Coleman contested the DHS statement, saying, “Contrary to the DHS’s press release, we did not ‘storm’ the detention center. The individual who drafted that statement was so misinformed about the actual events they couldn’t even correctly identify the number of representatives present. We were performing our lawful oversight duties, as we have previously done at the Elizabeth Detention Center without any issues.”\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tResponding to the news of Mayor Baraka’s detention, Kat Abughazaleh, a Democratic congressional candidate in Illinois, declared in all caps: “They are arresting elected officials for peacefully opposing the regime’s illegal actions. Do not be overwhelmed. This is not normal.”\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tGovernor Phil Murphy expressed his outrage at the arrest on a social media platform, demanding the immediate release of Mayor Baraka by federal authorities.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tMaurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families Party, described the arrest as “a shocking abuse of power, even by Trump’s standards.”\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tACLU of New Jersey’s executive director, Amol Sinha, also condemned the arrest, calling it “a disgraceful heightening of the Trump administration’s efforts to intimidate those who oppose its policies.”\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tThe advocacy group Indivisible labeled Mayor Baraka’s arrest as “a troubling indicator of how far Trump and his supporters are willing to go to suppress dissent,” describing it as “authoritarian behavior, plain and simple.”\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\tIndivisible further noted, “For months, Trump has weaponized ICE against immigrants, communities of color, and students asserting their right to free speech. Now, it’s being used to intimidate officials who critique him. This should concern everyone.”\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n\t“We demand the immediate release of Mayor Baraka and an end to these illegal and unconstitutional detentions. We refuse to be silenced or intimidated,” they added. “We stand with Mayor Baraka and all courageous leaders who resist, urging every other elected official to emulate his bold example.”\n<\/p>\n \n<\/div>\n \n