Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to federal charges alleging that she assaulted and obstructed immigration officers during a tense oversight visit to a detention center in her state last month.
“I just left out of court and pleaded not guilty—because I’m not guilty, and we will fight this. At the end of the day, this is all about political intimidation. The Trump administration and his colleagues or cronies or whatever you want to call them have weaponized the federal government. They’ve weaponized the Department of Justice,” she told reporters outside of a Newark courthouse.
McIver, who was elected to a full term in November 2024 after winning a special election two months earlier, said that she views the prosecution as political retribution aimed at silencing dissent against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
“They will not intimidate me. They will not stop me from doing my job,” she said.
The charges stem from McIver’s May 9 visit to Delaney Hall, a privately operated, 1,000-bed Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. The complaint—brought by interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, a Republican and Trump appointee—includes three counts: two with a maximum sentence of up to eight years and one with a sentence of up to one year.
U.S. District Judge Jamel Semper has scheduled her trial for November 10.
The indictment is notable—a rare criminal case against a sitting member of Congress that does not involve corruption or financial crimes. It’s also the latest flashpoint in Trump’s escalating conflict with Democrats over his immigration policy.
During the same visit to Delaney Hall, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested on a trespassing charge that was later dropped. He’s now suing Habba, alleging “malicious prosecution.”
Tensions continue to run high. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was recently arrested by federal agents while escorting immigrants from court, and Sen. Alex Padilla of California was forcibly removed from a Homeland Security press conference just days earlier.
Regarding McIver, a video released by DHS shows her inside a chainlink enclosure shortly before Baraka’s arrest outside of the fence. In the footage, she moves through a gate with officers and joins a crowd chanting to surround the mayor.
The scene is chaotic. McIver is caught in a tight knot of protesters and officers in black face coverings. Her elbows seem to brush against one officer, but the footage is inconclusive with regard to whether the contact was deliberate or simply a result of the surrounding commotion.
Still, the complaint claims that she “slammed” her forearm into the officer and tried to restrain him. The indictment, which has sparked backlash from Democrats, also alleges that she wrapped her arms around Baraka to prevent his arrest.
Democratic lawmakers have called the charges outrageous, with some saying that the prosecution is "congressional intimidation, bullying, and extreme abuse of power.” They point to existing law that gives members of Congress the explicit right to access immigration detention centers without prior notice—a rule codified in a 2019 spending bill.
McIver has echoed that, saying that she acted fully “in her capacity.”
Whether the charges prevail or not, McIver’s case is shaping up as a political litmus test—one that may reveal how far the Trump administration is willing to go to punish its critics, and how strongly those critics plan to push back.
Campaign Action Alex Samuels June 26, 2025 at 12:30AM From Daily Kos
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