Remember when some Democrat politicians tried to break into an ICE detention facility earlier this month? Last week, Matt wrote about how the New Jersey Globe reported that at least one of them could potentially face federal charges. Personally, I wasn’t holding my breath — it seems a lot of people in Congress do a lot of illegal things and don’t get charged for them, especially if they have a “D” next to their names — but it looks like the Department of Justice came through.
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United States Attorney Alina Habba announced on Monday evening that the DOJ is filing charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) for “assaulting, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement.” She allegedly assaulted a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer outside of the Delaney Hall ICE facility, which is in Newark.
BREAKING: New Jersey U.S. Attorney Alina Habba has charged Rep. LaMonica McIver under Title 18, U.S. Code § 111(a)(1) for assaulting, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/ZYWsZl8WM8
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 20, 2025
If you’ll recall, McIver, New Jersey Reps Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez, and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka attempted to enter the facility without following proper protocol, which required them to give advanced notice of their visit. The scene erupted into chaos, and Baraka was arrested for trespassing, though the DOJ also announced tonight that it would drop those charges. The incident looked a little something like this:
BREAKING: @AlinaHabba has officially criminally charged @RepLaMonica for the assault on federal officers.
She could spend up to 8 years in federal prison!
MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF HER. Show us the rule of law still applies to politicians.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) May 20, 2025
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Habba’s statement reads:
I take my obligations as U.S. Attorney seriously. I understand the responsibility that comes with my position, and I will work diligently to uphold the law and deliver justice to the people of New Jersey.
After extensive consideration, we have agreed to dismiss Mayor Baraka’s misdemeanor charge of trespass for the sake of moving forward.
In the spirit of public interest, I have invited the mayor to tour Delaney Hall. The government has nothing to hide at this facility, and I will personally accompany the mayor so he can see that firsthand.
The citizens of New Jersey deserve unified leadership so we can get to work to keep our state safe.
The dismissal against the mayor is not the end of this matter.
Congressional oversight is an important constitutional function and one that I fully support. However, that is not at issue in this case.
Representative LaMonica Melver assaulted, impeded, and interfered with law enforcement in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1). That conduct cannot be overlooked by the chief federal law enforcement official in the State of New Jersey, and it is my Constitutional obligation to ensure that our federal law enforcement is protected when executing their duties.
I have persistently made efforts to address these issues without bringing criminal charges and have given Representative McIver every opportunity to come to a resolution, but she has unfortunately declined.
No one is above the law politicians or otherwise. It is the job of this office to uphold justice impartially, regardless of who you are. Now we will let the justice system work.
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McIver issued her own statement, calling the charges “purely political.”
My statement on the charges filed against me: pic.twitter.com/urxCAt1ZEc
— Rep. LaMonica McIver (@RepLaMonica) May 20, 2025
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