Democrats rallied behind N.J. Rep. LaMonica McIver who the Justice Department said assaulted an official at an immigration center. She disputes that.
Rep. LaMonica McIver charged following ICE facility visit
Rep. LaMonica McIver was charged following a chaotic confrontation with law enforcement outside of an ICE facility.
WASHINGTON ‒ Democratic lawmakers rallied outside the U.S. Capitol May 20 to support New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver, a colleague charged by the Justice Department with assaulting a law enforcement officer during a recent encounter outside an immigration center.
“If they come for LaMonica today, they’ll come for any of us tomorrow,” said New York Rep. Yvette Clarke, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus.
The Justice Department announced charges against McIver on May 19 for assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement related to an altercation at a Newark immigration facility.
On Capitol Hill Tuesday, Trump told reporters that he doesn’t know McIver and her actions were “out of control.”
“Did you see her? She was out of control. The days of woke are over. That woman, she was out of control. She was shoving federal agents,” he said.
McIver along with two New Jersey Democrats, Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez, faced off against Department of Homeland Security guards on May 9 outside the Delaney Hall detention center shortly after officers arrested Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
The other two members of Congress have not been charged. A misdemeanor trespassing charge against Baraka was dropped Monday.
Members of Congress are allowed visit immigrant detention facilities unannounced.
McIver called the charges against her “purely political.”
“They mischaracterize and distort my actions and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight,” she said in a statement.
Interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, formerly a lawyer for President Donald Trump, said in a statement that she tried for a different outcome.
“I have persistently made efforts to address these issues without bringing criminal charges and have given Representative McIver every opportunity to come to a resolution, but she has unfortunately declined,” she said.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump repeatedly said that his political enemies should be jailed, but that such decisions would be left to the Justice Department.
New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone said oversight by his colleagues is not a crime. If the Justice Department can criminalize McIver for doing her job “then no member is safe from political retaliation,” he said.
Texas Rep. Greg Casar, chairman of the Progressive Caucus, said caucus members plan to do more oversight visits at ICE facilities.
“Donald Trump’s Department of Justice filing baseless charges against a member of Congress for simply doing her job should send a chill down the spine of every American,’’ he said. “These charges are a direct attack on the ability of Congress to hold the government accountable to the people.’’