House Democrats threatened with jail time after storming this federal facility
For all the talk of January 6th, Democrats are no better. If anything, they’re worse.
And now House Democrats were threatened with jail time after storming this federal facility.
Chaos at Delaney Hall: Lawmakers Clash with ICE
A volatile confrontation unfolded Friday at the Delaney Hall Detention Center in New Jersey, where three U.S. House Democrats—Reps. LaMonica McIver, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Rob Menendez—alongside Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, allegedly forced their way into the facility, sparking a physical altercation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned that the lawmakers could face arrest, emphasizing accountability.
“If it was a typical U.S. citizen, and they tried to storm into a detention facility that’s housing dangerous criminals or any person at all, they would be arrested,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Live host Kevin Corke on Saturday. “Just because you are a member of Congress or a public official, does not mean you are above the law.”
DHS alleges an ICE agent was assaulted, with Axios reporting claims of body camera footage showing the lawmakers, including McIver “body-slamming a female ICE officer.”
The incident, partially captured on video, occurred as a bus of detainees entered the facility’s security gate, prompting protesters and the lawmakers to rush forward.
“If you assault a law enforcement officer, we will also make sure you answer to justice,” McLaughlin added, noting that arrests remain a possibility as the investigation continues.
Lawmakers’ Defense: Oversight or Overreach?
The lawmakers pushed back against DHS’s narrative, framing their visit as a legitimate exercise of congressional oversight. In an X post, Watson Coleman wrote, “Contrary to a press statement put out by DHS we did not ‘storm’ the detention center,” disputing the agency’s account and even its count of representatives present.
McIver, in a press conference, claimed she was “assaulted by multiple ICE officers while regional directors of ICE watched it happen,” alleging that agents “shoved” her and “manhandled” Watson Coleman.
However, DHS footage shared on X appears to depict McIver charging unprovoked through law enforcement near the gate.
The facility, according to DHS, houses serious offenders, including “m*rderers, terrorists, child r*pists, and MS-13 gang members,” emphasizing the sensitivity of the site. Watson Coleman insisted the group’s intent was to inspect conditions, not provoke chaos, but DHS maintains the lawmakers’ actions crossed legal boundaries.
No charges have been confirmed against the representatives, though the investigation remains active.
Baraka’s Arrest: A Mayor Caught in the Crossfire
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who joined the lawmakers, faced immediate consequences, arrested and charged with trespassing after a five-hour detention. His attorneys defended his actions, arguing he was exercising his First Amendment rights with “calm, restraint, and dignity in a law-abiding manner.”
They criticized the trespassing charge as minor, typically warranting a ticket, and noted his release as evidence he posed no threat. “His subsequent release by the court demonstrates that there was no reason to believe that this well-known and widely respected public official was either a flight risk or a danger to the community that he served,” their statement read.
Baraka’s legal team also targeted U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba, accusing her of “inaccurate, inflammatory, and unfair” statements. Habba had posted on X, “The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon.”
“He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.” The attorneys countered that Habba’s remarks falsely portrayed Baraka as defying the “rule of law” and prematurely judged his guilt. DHS referred further inquiries to Habba’s office, which has not yet responded.
