Fiery Altercation Leads to Mayor's Arrest at Immigration Center
Mayor of Newark denies accused unauthorized entrance at immigration detention facility after detainment.
In an unexpected turn of events, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka found himself handcuffed and in custody Saturday evening after a tense confrontation at a new federal immigration detention center. Baraka had been protesting the center's opening all week and had joined three members of Congress for an oversight visit, yet he was accused of trespassing and given the boot.
The mayhem unfolded at the Delaney Hall facility, where Baraka had been invited for a press conference. However, things took a heated turn when he tried to join the congressional delegation, including Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver, and Bonnie Watson Coleman, in entering the facility. Federal officials blocked his entry, leading to a passionate argument.
Witnesses, including Viri Martinez, an activist with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, reported yelling and some pushing during the argument, which persisted even after Baraka returned to the public side of the gates. Officers then swarmed the scene, arresting Baraka and one of the organizers, throwing the latter to the ground.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed that the lawmakers did not ask for a tour of Delaney Hall, and that a group of protestors, including two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, "stormed" the gate and broke into the facility. However, Watson Coleman and her spokesperson, Ned Cooper, asserted that the three lawmakers went unannounced to inspect the facility, not for a scheduled tour.
Congresswoman Watson Coleman later stated that they did not "storm" the detention center, and that the statement put out by DHS was inaccurate. She also emphasized that they were merely exercising their legal oversight function, a task they had performed without incident elsewhere.
In video footage shared with The Associated Press, Baraka can be heard being told he cannot enter the facility because he is not a member of Congress. After leaving the secure area, Baraka returned to the public side of the gate, where he spoke through the gate to a man in a suit who warned him about impending arrest.
However, Baraka asserted, "I'm not on their property. They can't come out on the street and arrest me." Minutes later, a group of ICE agents, some wearing face coverings, surrounded him and others on the public side, leading to Baraka's arrest.
Adding fuel to the fire, Alina Habba, interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, claimed on social media that Baraka "disregarded the law" by trespassing at the detention facility. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security's attempt to paint the lawmakers' actions as an unannounced, chaotic storming of the facility did not align with Watson Coleman's account, who stated that they went there to inspect the facility, not for a scheduled tour.
Originally, Baraka had sued the Geo Group, the private prison operator running the detention center, following the announcement of a 15-year contract valued at $1 billion to manage the facility. Geo executives, however, celebrated the new contract during an earnings call with shareholders, expressing optimism that it would generate more than $60 million a year in revenue. The activation of the facility and another in Michigan is expected to increase the capacity of ICE-contracted detention beds from around 20,000 to approximately 23,000.
Though the investigation is ongoing, this high-profile incident underscores the ongoing tensions between immigration activists and authorities. Only time will tell if the arrest and subsequent legal battles will temper either side's resolve.
- Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who had been protesting the opening of a new federal immigration detention center in Seattle, was arrested for trespassing at a similar facility in Newark.
- During a heated argument at the Delaney Hall facility, Baraka was accused of attempting to join a congressional delegation, leading to his arrest and the arrest of one of the organizers.
- Despite claims by the Department of Homeland Security that the lawmakers stormed the detention center and broke into the facility, Congresswoman Watson Coleman stated they were exercising their legal oversight function.
- Alina Habba, interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, claimed that Baraka disregarded the law by trespassing at the detention facility.
- The arrest of Mayor Baraka and the subsequent legal battles are expected to further intensify the ongoing tensions between immigration activists and authorities, as politics surrounding crime and justice continue to be a general-news topic.
