New Jersey’s high federal prosecutor mentioned Monday that she’s charging Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver with assault after a skirmish with federal officers who arrested the Newark mayor exterior an immigration detention heart.
Interim U.S. Lawyer Alina Habba introduced the cost on social media, however court docket papers offering particulars weren’t instantly launched or publicly accessible on-line. Habba mentioned McIver is charged with assaulting, impeding or interfering with regulation enforcement.
In an announcement after the costs have been introduced, McIver accused ICE of making “an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation” as she was “fulfilling our lawful oversight responsibilities” throughout a go to to the power at Delaney Corridor.
“The charges against me are purely political-they mischaracterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight,” the assertion learn. “This administration will never stop me from working for the people in our district and standing up for what is right.”
McIver’s legal professional, Paul Fishman, the previous U.S. legal professional for New Jersey, issued an announcement calling the choice to cost McIver “spectacularly inappropriate,” saying she went to Delaney Corridor “to do her job” and he or she has the duty as a member of Congress to supervise ICE’s remedy of detainees.
“Rather than facilitating that inspection, ICE agents chose to escalate what should have been a peaceful situation into chaos,” Fishman mentioned. “This prosecution is an attempt to shift the blame for ICE’s behavior to Congresswoman McIver. In the courtroom, facts — not headlines — will matter.”
Habba on the similar time introduced that her workplace was dismissing a misdemeanor case introduced towards Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested after he tried to hitch three members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation who have been inspecting the power of their oversight capability.
