Rep. LaMonica McIver, a Democratic congresswoman from New Jersey, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on three counts of forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers following a confrontation at a Newark immigration detention center.
The incident took place outside Delaney Hall, a privately operated ICE detention facility, during a congressional visit that included McIver, fellow Democrats Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Their arrival coincided with protests against the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
According to the indictment, tensions escalated when a Department of Homeland Security special agent told Mayor Baraka he wasn’t authorized to enter a secure area and attempted to arrest him for trespassing. Prosecutors allege McIver intervened by shouting “Hell no!” and physically obstructing the officer. She’s accused of striking one officer with her forearm and attempting to restrain him during a second attempt. She also allegedly pushed past another ICE officer, again using her forearms.
The New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office stated: “McIver slammed her forearm into the body of one law enforcement officer and also tried to restrain that officer by forcibly grabbing him. She also used each of her forearms to forcibly strike a second officer.”
McIver was initially charged via criminal complaint in June, but this three-count indictment replaces the earlier charges. If convicted, she faces up to 17 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba defended the prosecution, stating: “While people are free to express their views… they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities those officers serve.”
Although Mayor Baraka was originally charged with trespassing, that charge was later dropped. Legal experts note that members of Congress cannot be barred from accessing detention centers for oversight purposes under federal law.
In response, Rep. McIver vowed to fight the charges and plead not guilty. In a statement on X, she called the indictment “a brazen attempt at political intimidation,” claiming it was part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to deflect from ICE’s actions. “I was simply doing my job,” she wrote.
Top House Democrats rallied behind McIver, releasing a joint statement promising to respond “vigorously” and calling the charges an “illegitimate abuse of power.” “An attack on one of us is an attack on the American people,” the statement read.
McIver’s attorney, Paul J. Fishman, said they are “eager to challenge these allegations head-on” and fully expect her to be exonerated.
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