Newark, N.J. Mayor Ras Baraka arrested at ICE facility, charged with trespassing
The mayor of Newark, N.J. was arrested at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center while visiting the facility with members of New Jersey's congressional delegation.
Mayor Ras Baraka was taken into custody Friday at Delaney Hall in Newark, which quietly started housing migrants detained by ICE this month.
"The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon," U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba wrote on social media. "He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW."
Baraka had his initial court appearance Friday evening and was charged with one count of trespassing. He was later released from custody.
Newark mayor speaks out after arrest
A sea of supporters greeted Baraka, a Democrat currently running for governor, moments after his release from a U.S. Department of Homeland Security field office.
"What's happening now in this country, everybody should be scared of," he told the crowd.
Baraka said he was not at Delaney Hall to protest, but to support the members of Congress who were there to tour the facility.
For months, the mayor has joined other lawmakers and immigration advocates in arguing the 1,000-bed facility located about 15 minutes from Newark Liberty International Airport is dangerous and illegal. They allege the private prison company that signed a contract with ICE did not obtain proper permits and blocked fire, electrical and plumbing inspections.
"We're not asking for anything that's incorrect. We ask them to obey our laws, to obey the policies and rules here in the city and state of New Jersey," Baraka said.
DHS denies allegations the facility did not obtain proper permits and wasn't inspected.
"A humiliating experience and uncomfortable for me"
In response to Habba's comments, Baraka said, "Clearly, that is not the context of what happened. I was there for over an hour in that space, and nobody ever told me to move."
"It wasn't unbearable, but it was definitely a humiliating experience and uncomfortable for me," he added.
Gov. Phil Murphy said he was "outraged" by Baraka's arrest.
"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. Four years ago, I was proud to sign a law banning private immigration detention centers in New Jersey. And just last week, my Administration was leading the fight to defend that law before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals," Murphy said.
Baraka said he was treated well while incarcerated, and he feels he was protecting the residents of New Jersey.
DHS says members of Congress "stormed the gate" at ICE facility
According to DHS, Delaney Hall currently detains "murderers, rapists, suspected terrorists, and gang members."
"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. The members, Robert Menendez Jr. and Bonnie Watson Coleman and multiple protestors are holed up in a guard shack, the first security check point," DHS said about Friday's incident.
"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. 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."
In a later social media post, Watson Coleman accused DHS of lying about the incident.
"We entered the facility, came BACK OUT to speak to the Mayor, and then ICE agents began shoving us," she wrote.
Congressmembers say Baraka's arrest was meant to intimidate
According to witnesses, 20-30 ICE officers arrested Baraka while he was standing outside on public property.
Menendez and Watson Coleman said the mayor's arrest was about intimidation.
"When they arrested the mayor, he was in the public domain. He was not on their property. They made a decision to make an example of this. They huddled, they discussed and then they announced that they were going to arrest him," Watson Coleman said.
"ICE brought to meet the mayor of Newark, over 20 armed individuals. Twenty armed individuals to confront the mayor of Newark along with three members of Congress. It was an act of intimidation. It was an act of intimidation not just to the mayor, not just to us, but to everyone watching," Menendez said.
Earlier on Friday, Watson Coleman said on social media, "We're at Delaney Hall, an ICE prison in Newark that opened without permission from the city & in violation of local ordinances. We've heard stories of what it's like in other ICE prisons. We're exercising our oversight authority to see for ourselves."
Menendez and Rep. LaMonica McIver were tagged in the post.
