Left: Congresswoman Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., leaves Delancey Hall ICE detention center on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis). Right: Image of McIver allegedly interacting with a federal agent (U.S. Department of Justice).
Details about federal assault charges filed against a New Jersey member of Congress were made public in charging documents released on Tuesday.
On Monday, Democratic Representative LaMonica McIver faced charges for two counts relating to assaulting, resisting, and obstructing federal officers following a chaotic confrontation at a Newark federal immigration detention center earlier this month.
The events occurred on May 9 at Delaney Hall, a facility managed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which had recently resumed operations. The altercation happened when Newark Mayor Ras Baraka sought to join McIver and two other New Jersey congressional representatives, Bonnie Watson Coleman and Robert Menendez Jr., as they engaged in their congressional oversight duties.
A misdemeanor trespassing charge was first filed against Baraka. New Jersey interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said her office dismissed that count this week “for the sake of moving forward” while charging McIver with the more serious offense. In the charging document, authorities appear to argue she committed felony violations of federal law by “forcibly” touching two federal agents.
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In the law enforcement narrative, the entire reason for McIver’s presence at the ICE facility is called into question. The document asserts she arrived at Delaney Hall “allegedly to conduct a congressional oversight inspection” while noting the “visit took place in tandem with an immigration protest rally” in the front “unsecured” area of the facility.
Baraka’s presence is cited as key to what transpired.
“Once the group entered the secured area, the Mayor arrived thereafter at the facility and was told he could not enter without authorization,” the document reads. “However, the Mayor returned with members of his security detail and was able to enter inside the gate because the guard was under the impression that the Mayor was part of the Congressional delegation.”
Authorities allege one federal agent — a Homeland Security Investigations employee — approached McIver and Baraka while they were in a secure area of the facility and “ordered” the mayor “to leave the facility’s secure area.” The document goes on to say the agent spent “approximately five minutes repeatedly ordering” Baraka to “leave and issued multiple warnings that he would be arrested if he did not do so.”
McIver and the other members of Congress allegedly overheard and interjected — “protesting” Baraka’s removal and being told by the agent that “Congress people are different.” Authorities say this phrase indicated “members of Congress had lawful authority to be there, and that the Mayor did not.” Additional warnings to leave and threats to arrest Baraka were leveled, authorities allege.
Eventually, the agent decided to arrest Baraka, and announced his intention to do so, according to the charging document — allegedly much to the chagrin of McIver and her congressional colleagues.
“Hell no!” McIver allegedly interjected. “Hell no! Hell no!”
As the federal agent displayed his handcuffs, McIver and the other members of Congress allegedly surrounded Baraka and “prevented” the agent from “handcuffing him and taking him into custody.”
Soon, however, Baraka was outside and agents tried again.
And, again, McIver and her colleagues intervened, authorities allege. The congresswoman “hurried outside towards the agents and attempted to thwart the arrest” while someone else allegedly yelled “circle the Mayor,” according to the charging document. McIver is said to have then placed her arms around Baraka as the others joined in to create a “human shield” encircling him.
Authorities claim McIver’s assaults on the two federal agents occurred during the ensuing contretemps as Baraka was finally arrested.
The charging document alleges McIver “slammed her forearm into the body of” the first federal agent and that she “also reached out and tried to restrain [the first agent] by forcibly grabbing him.”
After Baraka was arrested, McIver allegedly “pushed an ICE officer” and “used each of her forearms to forcibly strike [the ICE officer] as she returned inside the secure area of the facility,” according to the document.
In the complaint, authorities included 10 separate “representative stills,” or frames, from video footage which purport to show McIver’s “forcible contact with agents and officers.”
McIver, wearing a red jacket, can be clearly seen making contact with a uniformed individual in at least two of those images. In the remaining eight images, the scene is less visibly apparent.
Authorities say each of the images show McIver’s “multiple attempts to forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with the agents attempting to take the Mayor into custody.”
The congresswoman, for her part, disputed the allegations.
“Look, it’s political intimidation and I’m looking forward to my day in court,” McIver told CBS News on Tuesday morning.
