https://www.axios.com/2025/05/09/newark-ice-facility-ras-baraka-arrested-democrats

House Dems clash with police at ICE facility, mayor arrested

• Andrew Solender

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Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C. on July 9, 2024. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

The mayor of Newark was arrested Friday outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility where law enforcement scuffled with a group of protesters that included three House Democrats.

Why it matters: The Department of Homeland Security is alleging the lawmakers "stormed" the facility, a characterization the lawmakers' offices are disputing.

• Footage of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka's arrest obtained by Axios shows a clash between law enforcement and a group of demonstrators including Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Rob Menendez (D-N.J.) and LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.).
• The lawmakers said they were attempting to investigate ICE's controversial reopening of the Delany Hall facility to house detained migrants.

Driving the news: "Today, as a bus of detainees was entering the security gate of Delaney Hall Detention Center, a group of protestors, including two members of US Congress, stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility," said DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.

• "These members of Congress storming into a detention facility goes beyond bizarre political stunt and puts the safety of our law enforcement agents and the detainees at risk," McLaughlin said.
• "Members of Congress are not above the law and cannot illegally break into detention facilities. Had these members requested a tour, we would have facilitated a tour of the facility. This is an evolving situation."

The other side: Spokespeople for Watson Coleman and McIver pushed back on McLaughlin's claim that the lawmakers "stormed" the facility.

• "I don't think that's a fair characterization. They're here doing their jobs," said Hanna Rumsey, a spokesperson for McIver, who declined to go into further detail on how the lawmakers gained access to the facility.
• Watson Coleman's office told Axios they "arrived at Delaney Hall today at about 1PM to exercise their oversight authority as prescribed by law. After a period of explaining the law to the officials at the site they were escorted in."
• The claim that they stormed the facility, the spokesperson said, is "factually inaccurate."

Zoom in: Baraka has been trying to enter the facility to inspect whether it was in violation of municipal safety codes. His office has sued private prison company GEO Group over allegations they lack the proper permits to operate Delany Hall.

• McLaughlin said in her statement: "We have valid permits and inspection from plumbing, electricity to fire codes has been cleared."
• Interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba said Baraka was arrested because he "committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings ... to remove himself."

• Several of Baraka's rivals in the Democratic primary for New Jersey governor leapt to his defense, with Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) saying he "should be released immediately."

What they're saying: After taking a tour of the facility, Watson Coleman told reporters that law enforcement officers "know who we are, and yet they ... manhandled us and manhandled the mayor."

• She said the conditions in the facility "aren't bad ... it's clean, they're feeding them," but added that ICE is "out of control."
• Said McIver: "As soon as we got here, we were met with opposition. People were telling us they were going to get a supervisor ... we waited and waited. Finally, we went past the gate, and then we had to wait longer."

Zoom out: The incident comes as Democrats are trying to stage acts of fierce resistance to the Trump administration — particularly its hardline immigration policies.

• Several lawmakers have flown to El Salvador in recent weeks to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an erroneously deported Maryland man whose return has been ordered by the Supreme Court.
• Democrats also tried and failed repeatedly in February to access several federal agencies that were being targeted by DOGE.

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