Rep. LaMonica McIver charged with assault after Newark mayor’s arrest outside ICE facility

Rep. McIver charged with assault

Protesters have gathered to demonstrate against Representative LaMonica McIver being charged with assault. FOX 5 NY's Antwan Lewis is on the scene.

NEW YORK - Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver, who represents Newark and parts of Essex County, is now facing a federal assault charge after what prosecutors call a physical confrontation with law enforcement officers outside an immigration detention center. The incident unfolded during the high-profile arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who had attempted to join McIver and other congressional leaders on an oversight visit.

While the charge against Baraka was dropped Monday, McIver was charged with assaulting, impeding, or interfering with officers, according to an announcement posted by Interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba on social media. The case is already drawing strong reactions in New Jersey political circles.

What led to the confrontation outside Delaney Hall?

The backstory:

The incident occurred outside Delaney Hall, an ICE-contracted detention facility in Newark, where McIver and fellow New Jersey Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman and Robert Menendez Jr. had planned a visit. Baraka reportedly attempted to join them but was stopped and ultimately arrested by federal agents.

In a clip released by the Department of Homeland Security, McIver can be seen on the facility side of a chain-link fence before crossing through the gate and joining a crowd shouting "surround the mayor." Video shows McIver pressing forward in the crowd, with her elbows making contact with a federal officer.

Homeland Security said the charge followed a "thorough review" of the footage and an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.

Why did prosecutors drop the mayor’s charges but pursue McIver’s?

The other side:

Habba said in a statement that dismissing the misdemeanor case against Mayor Baraka was "for the sake of moving forward." She added that her office has invited Baraka to tour Delaney Hall and committed to joining him.

However, McIver’s attorney, Paul Fishman—a former U.S. attorney for New Jersey—called the decision to charge the congresswoman "spectacularly inappropriate."

FILE - Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) speaks during the We Choose To Fight: Nobody Elected Elon rally at the U.S. Department Of The Treasury on February 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.  (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for MoveOn)

"She went to Delaney Hall to do her job," Fishman said. "Rather than facilitating that inspection, ICE agents chose to escalate what should have been a peaceful situation into chaos."

McIver denies wrongdoing

What they're saying:

"There’s no video that supports me body slamming anyone," McIver told a national outlet in a recent interview. "We were simply there to do our job… They created that confrontation."

McIver and her congressional colleagues have maintained that the situation was escalated by federal agents and that their actions were consistent with their oversight authority.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, however, stood by the charge, saying federal agents must be protected from interference. "Assaults on federal law enforcement will not be tolerated," added Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in a post on X.

Local perspective:

McIver, 38, is a Newark native who joined Congress after winning a special election in September 2024 to fill the seat of the late Rep. Donald Payne Jr. She was elected to a full term in November 2024.

Before coming to Washington, McIver served as president of the Newark City Council and previously worked in Newark’s public school system. She has deep local ties and is viewed as a rising figure in the city’s political landscape.