Trump Administration Faces Motion to Dismiss as Baraka's Lawyers Claim Selective Targeting in Arrest Protest Case
Hear This: Newark Mayor Ras Baraka's legal squad is gunning for a motion to chuck out the freakin' trespassing charges tossed at the man, after his busted arrest at an immigrant lock-up center in New Jersey.
During a court hearing in New Jersey, the defense team shouted out that they reckon ol' Ras was being singled out by the Trump administration.
"We think the mayor himself was in the crosshairs here," said one of Baraka's lawyers, Rahul Agarwal.
"The mayor was welcomed into the joint," Agarwal continued, pointing out that good ol' Ras was on the outside when he eventually got collared and slapped with handcuffs.
Baraka himself appeared at the hearing and chatted up supporters later, saying on social media that the court case was a load of crap.
"Today, the Attorney General's office chose to push ahead with a trial over trespassing charges at Delaney Hall. Although the charges are bogus, we'll fight this," Baraka wrote. "This ain't just about me. It's about everyone."
The incident is another flashpoint in the escalating beef between the Trump admin and local officials who ain't too fond of the president's immigration crackdown.
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Civil liberties groups argue that the government's using its muscle to intimidate or coerce officials who don't fall in line with its immigration agendas.
The Trump admin's beef revolves around the kerfuffle of May 9, when whacky lawmakers and protesters stormed Delaney Hall, a new detention facility in Newark managed by the private outfit, GEO Group.
Baraka's been against that giant joint since day one, claiming it lacks the essential permits, and the man's made plenty of appearances outside its gates since its May 1 opening. On the day of his arrest, ol' Ras hooked up with three members of the US Congress - LaMonica McIver, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Rob Menendez – who arrived without warning to check out the facility, according to their statements later.
Agarwal said that it was just Baraka who got therootup in the incident. Baraka's insisted he was invited in to the facility and posted a video on social media on Wednesday which he says shows a guard opening the gate to let him inside the precincts.
"Mayor Baraka was at Delaney Hall to tag along on a tour of the detention center with a congressional delegation as part of their authorized oversight activities," the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) stated in a release on the busted arrest of Baraka last week.
"Mayor Baraka – and politicos across New Jersey and the nation – are being targeted by the Trump administration for refusing to be a party to its ongoing violations of due process."
However, the government's legal complaint alleges that Baraka made his way into and hung out in the private facility despite being warned multiple times to git-a-movin'. He's staring down up to 30 days in the slammer.
"We think there's clear proof that the mayor was within the property," Assistant US Attorney Stephen Demanovich told US Magistrate Judge Andre Espinosa.
Video records from the incident show an official behind the gate at Delaney Hall telling Baraka he needed to scram back outside because "you ain't no congressmember".
Judge Espinosa on Thursday instructed Baraka to get processed by the US Marshals Service after the hearing wrapped up. This triggered a moment of mix-up in the courtroom. Baraka pointed out he'd already been processed after his arrest, but ultimately agreed to give his fingerprints and snap a mugshot once more.
"They're doing their best to humiliate and degrade me as much as they possibly can," said Baraka. "I feel like what we did was completely legal. We didn't violate no laws. We stood up for the Constitution of this country, the Constitution of the state of New Jersey."
Baraka's a front-runner in the 2025 New Jersey governor's race.
- The incident involving Newark Mayor Ras Baraka's arrest at an immigrant lock-up center has spurred controversy, with civil liberties groups claiming that the government is using its power to intimidate or coerce officials who do not align with its immigration policies.
- The ongoing beef between the Trump administration and local officials, such as Mayor Baraka, is a part of a wider issue revolving around immigration, with the federal government reportedly targeting political figures who oppose its immigration crackdown.
- The politics of immigration, war, and crime-and-justice are intertwined in the ongoing dispute between Baraka and the Trump administration, with the mayor's arrest at a private immigration detention center leading to calls for policy-and-legislation changes in the broader context of general news and civil rights.
