DHS maintains potential for arrests following ICE facility incursion by New Jersey House Democrats captured on video

Cutting through ICE Agents: Congress Members Cause Stir at Detention Center

In an explosive video shared by the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., can be seen pushing through officials in a brazen attempt to break into a secure ICE center in Newark, N.J. (Credit: @DHSgov / X)

Three rambunctious members of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey found themselves in hot water on Friday when their overzealous visit to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center turned sour, culminating in a scuffle with federal agents. The trio, consisting of LaMonica McIver, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Robert Menendez Jr., along with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, are facing potential arrest, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security.

Tensions erupted when the lawmakers stormed the Delaney Hall Detention Center, accompanied by Mayor Baraka. According to authorities, an ICE agent was physically assaulted during the altercation, which was caught on camera.

"Much like any ordinary citizen attempting to breach a secure facility hosting dangerous individuals, these congress members would be arrested if they weren't public officials," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Live host Kevin Corke on Saturday. "They must understand that Members of Congress are not exempt from the law."

McLaughlin intensified by stating, "If you physically attack a law enforcement officer, you will be held accountable. And arrests are still a possibility for these individuals."

According to DHS, the confrontation started when a group of protesters, which included the lawmakers, charged the detention center as a bus of detainees was approaching the security gate1. DHS has reportedly obtained body camera footage showing Congress members assaulting ICE officers, including wrestling down a female officer1.

Rep. LaMonica McIver weighed in on the situation, claiming that ICE agents shoved her and mistreated Rep. Watson Coleman. During a press conference, McIver declared that she was assaulted by an array of ICE officials while regional directors of ICE watched the incident unfold1.

However, the drama didn't end there. Mayor Baraka was handcuffed, detained for five hours, and formally charged with trespassing3. His legal team, though, countered that he was simply exercising his First Amendment rights and acted with calm, restraint, and dignity throughout the incident3.

Baraka's team further accused the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, of making inflammatory public statements and falsely alleging the mayor's guilt3. Habba took to X to announce Baraka's arrest, stating that "no one is above the law"3.

Watson Coleman, who also accused an ICE agent of shoving her, shared a statement claiming that the visit aimed to exercise their oversight authority as Members of Congress3. DHS officials confirmed that those detained at the facility included notorious criminals such as murderers, terrorists, child rapists, and MS-13 gang members3.

Watson Coleman countered DHS's version of events, stating, "We did not storm the detention center. The individual who wrote the DHS statement was clearly unfamiliar with the details of the incident."

As the investigation continues, the public awaits further developments in this exhilarating standoff between Members of Congress, local officials, and ICE agents at a high-security detention center.

The inflammatory incident at the Delaney Hall Detention Center, involving Members of Congress Bonnie Watson Coleman, Robert Menendez Jr., and LaMonica McIver, along with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, has led to a heated standoff between Congress, local officials, and ICE agents, as reported by general news outlets.
Despite the confrontation between the lawmakers and ICE agents, which resulted in the detainment of Baraka and accusations of physical assault, both McIver and Watson Coleman maintain that they were engaged in breaking news related to policy-and-legislation and crime-and-justice, exercising their oversight authority as Members of Congress.
Following the scuffle, Bonnie Watson Coleman and LaMonica McIver, in separate statements, blasted ICE officials for detaining innocent Members of Congress, alleging mistreatment and assault during the visit to the high-security detention center.
As the video evidence continues to circulate and the investigations progress, the Koch Brothers' media outlets have voiced their concerns over the intensifying political environment and the potential implications for policy-and-legislation in the future.
As the political dust settles, questions remain regarding accountability, oversight, and the boundaries between Congressional authority and law enforcement agencies, particularly in the context of politics and the management of immigration, detention, and law enforcement policies.