The Trump administration accused Rep. Lamonica McIver (DN.J.) on Monday after a chaotic confrontation between immigration and customs enforcement agencies in New Jersey earlier this month.
Acting U.S. attorney in Alina Habba, New Jersey, announced on social platform X that she is accusing McIver of attacking, blocking and interfering with law enforcement. “No one goes beyond the law – politicians or anyone else,” Haba said in a statement. “Whoever you are, it’s the job of this office to uphold justice. Now, we’re going to make the justice system work.”
McPver said the allegations against her were purely “pure politics”, “misrepresented and distorted my actions and aimed at criminalizing and blocking legislative oversight.” McPver said in a statement, “The government will never stop me from working for people in our area and working for the right things.” She added that she “(look) the truth laid out clearly to the court.”
Earlier this month, Democratic New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez and McIver visited Delaney Hall, New Jersey, in the Ice Detention Center for oversight, and their legal rights. Recently, the center reopened among opposition to immigration rights groups, with the city of Newark filing a lawsuit in April to stop occupancy and construction. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka believes that the facility should not be allowed to open due to building permit issues.
Baraka was arrested outside the facility for suspected trespassing. Haba said in his announcement on Monday that the allegations against Mayor Baraka will be “to move forward.”
The Department of Homeland Security accused McIver of “beating a hockey agent” during a visit to Democratic officials this month, releasing a video showing a chaotic scene where McIver tries to pass through a group of law enforcement officers who are pushing people. The video includes a clip that has slowed down to emphasize that McIver has apparently pushed a hockey agent who seems to have stopped walking in front of her near the gate.
"Yesterday, at Delaney Hall, I witnessed first-hand the chaos and cruelty of the immigration policies that defined the Trump administration," McPherson said in a previous statement. "As we have done before, we go for legal congressional oversight - do a good job for our voters and ask for answers. We are faced with contempt, disrespect and aggression of the ice."
McPver accused the Trump administration of “strengthening members of Congress” and added that the incident showed a “blatant abuse of power” by the president.