NJ congresswoman faces federal charges after ICE confrontation

Federal prosecutors charged Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., with assaulting law enforcement officers during a visit to a federal immigration detention facility in Newark on May 9. The Justice Department alleged that she “assaulted, impeded and interfered” with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at Delaney Hall while participating in what lawmakers described as a routine oversight inspection. If convicted, she faces felony charges with potential prison time. The case could test the limits of the Constitution’s speech or debate clause, which shields members of Congress from prosecution for actions taken in the course of their official duties. Newark Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka also arrived at the site, where ICE officers arrested him for misdemeanor trespassing. Habba later dropped the charge against Baraka, citing a desire to “move forward.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other top Democrats called the case “morally bankrupt” and said it lacked “any basis in law or in fact”

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