U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey and former Donald Trump defense attorney Alina Habba declined to charge Newark Mayor Ras Baraka with trespassing after he was arrested outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility earlier this month.
But Rep. LaMonica R. McIver is being charged with impeding law enforcement efforts and assault for her part in the May 9 fracas in Newark, N.J., officials said.
“After extensive consideration, we have agreed to dismiss Mayor Baraka’s misdemeanor charge of trespass for the sake of moving forward,” the D.A.’s office said in a Monday evening statement.
Habba added that she’s invited Baraka to tour the Delaney Hall facility he hoped to see for himself when the mayor and other protesters showed up outside the detention center where migrants are being kept under conditions politicians, including Sen. Cory Booker, described as inhumane.
Prosecutors were less forgiving of McIver, who was filmed clashing with officers.
According to Habba, the congresswoman’s conduct “cannot be overlooked” by the state’s head law enforcement officer.
“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 unfortunately declined,” Habba said.
McIver addressed the charges against her with a statement claiming she was executing her “lawful oversight responsibilities” as a member of Congress and blamed ICE agents for creating “an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation” by apprehending Baraka.
“The charges against me are purely political — the mischaracterize and distort my actions and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight,” she defended.
Baraka re-posted his fellow Democrat’s statement on his X account.
