...
By Gabe Whisnant
News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Representative LaMonica McIver pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal charges accusing her of assaulting and interfering with immigration officers during a May 9 congressional oversight visit to a New Jersey detention center.
Outside the courthouse, flanked by supporters including Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and other elected officials, McIver, a Democrat representing New Jersey's 10th District, remained defiant. "They will not intimidate me. They will not stop me from doing my job," she said.
Newsweek has reached out to the office of interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, who filed the charges, via email on Wednesday afternoon.
Read More on Politics
...
Why It Matters
Several Democratic lawmakers, including New Jersey Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez, have criticized the charges and defended McIver, citing a 2019 appropriations law that authorizes members of Congress to conduct unannounced oversight visits at immigration facilities.
McIver, 39, joined Congress in September following a special election after the death of Rep. Donald Payne Jr., and won a full term in November. A lifelong Newark resident, she previously served as City Council President from 2022 to 2024 and worked in the city's public school system.
What To Know
The charges stem from a confrontation outside Delaney Hall in Newark, a 1,000-bed privately run facility used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
McIver appeared in a Newark federal courtroom before U.S. District Judge Jamel Semper. "Your honor, I plead not guilty," McIver said during the brief hearing.
The indictment, announced earlier this month, accuses McIver of three counts: two felonies for assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers—each carrying up to eight years in prison—and a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of one year. The case marks a rare federal criminal prosecution of a sitting member of Congress for conduct unrelated to financial or political corruption.
Video footage released by the Department of Homeland Security shows McIver inside a fenced area of the facility, surrounded by uniformed officers and other officials. The video captures a chaotic scene in which McIver moves through a gate and joins others shouting in support of Mayor Baraka, who was being arrested just outside the fence. At one point, McIver's left and right elbows are seen making contact with an officer wearing a dark face covering and an olive-green uniform labeled "Police."
Whether the physical contact was deliberate or incidental remains unclear. The complaint alleges that McIver "slammed" her forearm into a federal agent and attempted to restrain him. The indictment further claims she wrapped her arms around Mayor Baraka in an effort to prevent his arrest and again alleges that she slammed and grabbed an agent.
Baraka was charged with trespassing during the same incident, though the charge was later dropped. He has since filed a lawsuit against Habba, accusing the Trump administration of weaponizing law enforcement. "They're using law enforcement as an appendage of their ideology to begin to hammer us," Baraka said.
What People Are Saying
Habba posted on X, formerly Twitter, "Today my office has charged Congresswoman McIver with violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1) for assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement."
Habba said in a memo accompanying her social media post, "That conduct cannot be overlooked by the chief federal law enforcement official in the State of New Jersey, and it is my Constitutional obligation to ensure that our federal law enforcement is protected when executing their duties."
McIver's attorney, former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul Fishman, said the congresswoman maintains her innocence: "She pleaded not guilty because she is not guilty," adding that federal agents had escalated tensions at Delaney Hall during the May visit.
McIver said Wednesday: "This is what happens when you stand up to them," warning that others who challenge the Trump administration might face similar treatment.
What Happens Next
The judge scheduled her trial to begin on November 10.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
Update: 6/25/25, 1:01 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines