Democratic Representative LaMonica McIver of New Jersey has been charged with assault following a confrontation with law enforcement officers outside a federal immigration facility.
The announcement came late Monday via social media from Alina Habba, the acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, who is also known for her ties to former President Donald Trump.
Habba also disclosed that her office would not be moving forward with a trespassing case against Newark’s Mayor, Ras Baraka, who was involved in the same event.
The confrontation occurred on May 9 during an oversight visit to Delaney Hall, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention site in Newark. McIver, Baraka, and other Democratic officials were present. Though the scene grew tense and physical altercations were reported, no injuries were confirmed.
Delaney Hall, which can accommodate up to 1,000 detainees, was recently reopened under the Trump administration and promoted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a flagship immigration detention center.
Video footage from the day showed a chaotic scene involving federal agents, local police, activists, media personnel, and the visiting politicians. Mayor Baraka was detained during the incident.
Despite the unrest, the visiting lawmakers were eventually granted access and toured the facility.
The blame for the confrontation remains contested. DHS officials claimed the lawmakers forced their way into the center, while Democratic leaders criticized the aggressive tactics of security personnel.
In a statement to the press, Trump characterized McIver’s behavior as erratic and inappropriate.
McIver, however, denied any misconduct, labeling the charges as politically driven. Fellow Democrats in Congress condemned the legal action, calling it unfounded and politically charged.
Mayor Baraka also pushed back, citing video evidence that showed staff had permitted him to enter and that he left calmly when asked.
As the case against Baraka was dropped, Habba extended an invitation to personally accompany him on a future visit to the facility.