NJ Congresswoman Indicted After Scuffle At ICE Detention Center

NEWARK, NJ — A Democratic congresswoman from New Jersey has been indicted on charges of “forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers” after a scuffle outside an ICE detention facility – an allegation that she denies.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Rep. LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) was charged in a three-count indictment on Tuesday in connection with an incident that took place outside Delaney Hall in Newark on May 9.

• See Related: Feds Charge McIver With Assault After ICE Prison Protest
• See Related: NJ Congresswoman Disputes Charges From Feds After ICE Scuffle

U.S. Attorney Alina Habba – whom McIver has accused of politicizing the incident – announced the indictment on Tuesday evening, an hour before polls closed in the state’s 2025 primary election.

“Today’s decision by the grand jury is the next step in a process that my office will pursue to a just end,” the Trump-appointee said.

Habba said McIver faces a maximum of 17 years in prison if convicted on all three counts.

The congresswoman immediately responded with a statement of her own, saying that she was “looking forward to my day in court” and is entering a plea of not guilty.

“The facts of this case will prove I was simply doing my job and will expose these proceedings for what they are: a brazen attempt at political intimidation,” McIver said.

“This indictment is no more justified than the original charges, and is an effort by Trump’s administration to dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused and scare me out of doing the work I was elected to do,” McIver continued.

“But it won’t work – I will not be intimidated,” she added. “The facts are on our side.”

McIver’s attorney, Paul Fishman, said they are eager to challenge the allegations head-on in court.

“The legal process will expose this prosecution for what it truly is – political retaliation against a dedicated public servant who refuses to shy away from her oversight responsibilities,” Fishman said.

McIver represents the state's 10th congressional district, which includes the following municipalities: Caldwell, East Orange, Essex Fells, Irvington, Montclair (part), Newark (part), Orange, Verona, West Orange in Essex County; Jersey City (part) in Hudson County; Cranford, Garwood, Hillside, Kenilworth, Linden (part), Roselle, Roselle Park, Union Township in Union County.

DELANEY HALL

The 1,000-bed facility at Delaney Hall is the first federal detention center to open under President Donald Trump’s second term. It is run by the GEO Group, one of the largest private prison companies in the world. The move allows ICE to expand its detention and deportation capacity in the Northeast region of the country.

ICE started housing detainees at Delaney Hall on May 1. Pro-immigration activists have been holding a series of protests outside the facility over the past several weeks.

On May 9, three Congress members – McIver, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rep. Rob Menendez Jr. – visited Delaney Hall, demanding entry to carry out their “oversight authority” and inspect the situation firsthand.

Congress members are legally authorized to enter federal immigration facilities – even without advance notice. However, Homeland Security officials have accused the lawmakers of “storming the gate” and breaking into the detention facility.

The U.S. Attorney's Office elaborated on these allegations on Tuesday:

"According to the allegations in the indictment, McIver forcibly impeded and interfered with federal officers as they attempted to arrest an individual outside the Delaney Hall federal immigration facility in Newark, New Jersey on May 9, 2025. McIver and two other members of Congress were present at the facility that day to conduct a congressional oversight inspection. The inspection coincided with an immigration protest rally. After the congressional delegation entered the secured area of the facility, the mayor of Newark arrived and was given access to the secured area. A federal officer then informed the mayor that he was not authorized to be in the facility’s secured area, and issued the mayor multiple warnings that he would be arrested if he did not leave. McIver and other members of the congressional delegation overheard this conversation and challenged the officer, protesting the mayor’s removal. When officers moved in to arrest the mayor, McIver and others surrounded the mayor and prevented the officers from handcuffing him."

The U.S. Attorney's Office continued:

"After the mayor was escorted outside the secured area, law enforcement officers made a second attempt to arrest him. At this time, someone in the crowd yelled 'circle the mayor.' McIver then faced the mayor and placed her arms around him in an effort to prevent HSI from completing the arrest. During her continued attempts to thwart the arrest, McIver slammed her forearm into the body of one law enforcement officer and also reached out and tried to restrain that officer by forcibly grabbing him. McIver also used each of her forearms to forcibly strike a second officer."

No charges have been filed against Watson Coleman and Menendez.

Federal authorities previously shared video footage from the scene and encouraged viewers to “check the tape.”

“Yes, check the tape,” insisted Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was also at the scene. He was eventually arrested and charged with trespassing – a charge that Habba has agreed to drop.

“The aggression was from the people in masks, hiding their identity,” Baraka said. “And the whole world has seen it.”

• Read More: NJ Mayor: Videos Show We Didn’t ‘Storm’ ICE Detention Center (WATCH)

McIver previously called the allegations from the U.S. Attorney's Office “purely political.”

“Earlier this month, I joined my colleagues to inspect the treatment of ICE detainees at Delaney Hall in my district,” she countered. “We were fulfilling our lawful oversight responsibilities, as members of Congress have done many times before, and our visit should have been peaceful and short. Instead, ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation when they chose to arrest Mayor Baraka.”

“The charges against me are purely political—they mischaracterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight,” McIver continued. “This administration will never stop me from working for the people in our district and standing up for what is right.”

“I am thankful for the outpouring of support I have received and I look forward to the truth being laid out clearly in court,” the congresswoman added.

Watson Coleman and Baraka have also disputed federal authorities’ version of events, sharing video footage that they say debunks federal authorities’ claims. Watch clips from Watson Coleman here and here, and see footage released by Baraka below.

Some Republican politicians have been supporting Habba and the Trump administration, including U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who hosted a House Judiciary hearing on “threats to ICE operations” on Tuesday.

Van Drew – who chaired the president’s re-election campaign in New Jersey last year – said that Delaney Hall houses people charged with serious crimes such as murder. The congressman claimed that detainees at the controversial facility are being “treated with dignity” and are being housed in a place that “exceeds the standards of many of our own U.S. prisons.”

• See Related: Maggots, Squalor For ICE Detainees At 'Inhumane' NJ Jails, Report Says
• See Related: Jail Served Us Meatballs That Smelled Like Feces, NJ Inmate Says
• See Related: Prison Stuck ICE Detainees With Giant Underwear In NJ, Feds Say

Several Democratic elected officials rallied behind McIver after the federal charges were announced, including U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim, and U.S. Reps. Mikie Sherrill, Josh Gottheimer and Frank Pallone Jr.

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way said she is “deeply concerned” about the charges against McIver.

“Members of Congress have a clear responsibility to conduct oversight of the executive branch,” Way said. “This sets a dangerous precedent that threatens the checks and balances of our Constitution. I stand with Congresswoman McIver and will continue to speak out against this abuse of power.”

On Tuesday, the ACLU of New Jersey decried the indictment against McIver, with the group's executive director, Amol Sinha, calling it an "outrageous and unprecedented escalation of the Trump administration’s intimidation campaign" against its critics.

"With this indictment, it's clear that the Trump administration is continuing to target lawmakers across New Jersey and the country for refusing to be complicit in its ongoing assault on immigrant communities and the fundamental rights at the core of our democracy," Sinha said.

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