Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) filed a Wednesday resolution to expel Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) over pending federal charges related to a scuffle involving lawmakers, protesters and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers outside a migrant detention facility in New Jersey.
McIver was accused of assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement after touring Delaney Hall on May 9 to conduct legal oversight.
She has said she did nothing wrong while accusing ICE officers of pushing her. Democrats have defended McIver while accusing the Trump administration of a political prosecution, while Mace joined other Republicans who have widely criticized her actions.
“Members of Congress swear an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of this country not to obstruct them,” Mace said in a statement.
“This isn’t a matter of partisan politics. It’s about whether we’re going to hold Members of Congress to the same legal standards as every other American,” she added.
Mace said the House has set a precedent for expelling Members charged, but not yet convicted, of serious criminal offenses, citing the expulsion of former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) in 2023, which she notably voted against.
“In a time when public trust in government is at a historic low, the House must act decisively,” Mace said.
“The evidence is clear. The charges are serious. And the public deserves to know that criminal conduct in the halls of Congress has consequences,” she added.
McIver responded to those claims in a Wednesday statement on X that read, “In the South, I think they say ‘bless her heart,'” brushing off the resolution for expulsion.
McIver has denied all claims of wrongdoing, as have several fellow Democrats who were at the detention center with her during the early May visit.
“The charges against me are purely political they mischaracterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight,” McIver, who’s in her first term, wrote in a Monday statement on the social platform X.
Alina Habba, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, said she offered McIver a plea deal after dropping similar charges against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D).
Democratic leadership has spoken out in defense of McIver.
“Members of Congress have a constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight of the executive branch wherever and whenever it is needed. We are lawfully permitted to show up at any federal facility unannounced to conduct an inspection on behalf of the American people,” read a statement signed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (Mass.), House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (Calif.), caucus Vice Chair Ted Lieu (Calif.) and Assistant Leader Joe Neguse (Colo.).
The lawmakers added, “By visiting the detention center in Newark, Rep. McIver and two other Members of Congress were upholding their oath of office.”
Updated at 4:58 p.m.
