DHS Warns of More Arrests Following Newark Mayor’s Detention
Department of Homeland Security officials announced Saturday that additional arrests are likely in connection with Friday’s confrontation at the controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Newark, where Mayor Ras Baraka was detained for approximately five hours. The warning comes amid escalating tensions between federal immigration authorities and local officials over the recently reopened detention center.
In a Saturday morning interview, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin stated that “there will likely be more arrests coming” after Friday’s incident at Delaney Hall detention center, which resulted in the mayor being charged with trespassing, according to NewsNation.
Trending Headlines You Might Have Missed:
- Is $TROLL the Next $SHIB? Solana’s Hottest Meme Coin Yet
- Trump Coin Makes 58 Investors $1.1 Billion Richer
- How Jessica Alba Turned an Idea Into $700 Million
- Online Affair Uncovered—Now One Partner Is Dead
- Therapy Pig Killed—Outrage Erupts Over 1-Night Jail Term
Conflicting Accounts of the Incident
The circumstances surrounding Mayor Baraka’s arrest remain disputed, with federal officials and congressional representatives offering contradictory versions of events. McLaughlin claimed that bodycam footage showed members of Congress “assaulting” and “body-slamming” ICE officers during the confrontation, allegations the lawmakers vehemently deny.
According to DHS, “a group of protestors, including two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility” as a bus carrying detainees was entering. However, Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, LaMonica McIver, and Robert Menendez Jr., who were present during the incident, have strongly disputed this characterization.
“Contrary to a press statement put out by DHS, we did not ‘storm’ the detention center,” Representative Watson Coleman wrote on social media. “The author of that press release was so unfamiliar with the facts on the ground that they didn’t even correctly count the number of Representatives present,” according to ABC News.
Video Evidence and Witness Accounts
Video footage of the incident reportedly shows Baraka standing within a gated, outdoor portion of the facility surrounded by lawmakers and immigration officials in a tense exchange. After being told to leave, witnesses state he exited through the gate and was then arrested by federal agents on public property.
Julie Moreno, a New Jersey state captain of American Families United who was present during the incident, stated that ICE personnel “came out aggressively to arrest him and grab him” while he was outside the facility’s gates. This account directly contradicts claims from interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba, who asserted that Baraka had “committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations.”
The conflicting narratives have prompted calls for the release of all bodycam footage and surveillance video from the incident. Senator Cory Booker has formally requested that DHS Secretary provide all relevant recordings to congressional oversight committees, according to The Washington Post.
Controversial Detention Facility
The confrontation centers around Delaney Hall, a 1,000-bed detention facility operated by private prison company GEO Group under a contract with ICE. The facility, which reopened on May 1, has been a flashpoint in the larger debate over immigration enforcement policies under the Trump administration.
Baraka has been a vocal opponent of the facility, arguing that it lacks proper city permits and was opened despite opposition from community and elected officials. Newark filed a lawsuit against GEO Group in April, claiming the facility lacks a valid certificate of occupancy and bypassed required safety inspections.
DHS has disputed these claims, stating that “we have valid permits and inspection from plumbing, electricity to fire codes has been cleared.” The activation of Delaney Hall is part of a broader expansion of detention capacity, increasing total beds under contract with ICE from around 20,000 to approximately 23,000.
Political Support and Legal Proceedings
The arrest has generated significant political support for Baraka, who is currently running for governor in New Jersey’s Democratic primary. Governor Phil Murphy called the arrest “unjust” and described Baraka as “an exemplary public servant who has always stood up for our most vulnerable neighbors.”
State Attorney General Matthew Platkin stated that the arrest of public officials “for peacefully protesting violates the most basic principles of our democracy.” Several of Baraka’s rivals in the gubernatorial primary have also expressed solidarity, with Representative Josh Gottheimer stating the mayor “should be released immediately.”
Upon his release Friday evening, Baraka addressed supporters gathered outside the Homeland Security Investigations Newark office. “The reality is this: I didn’t do anything wrong,” he told the crowd. Though unable to discuss specifics due to legal restrictions, he expressed solidarity with all community members regardless of background or nationality.
Baraka is scheduled to appear in Newark Federal District Court next Thursday for a preliminary hearing on the trespassing charge, which carries a maximum punishment of up to 30 days in prison and a $500 fine.
Trending Headlines You Might Have Missed:
