Additional Coverage:
New Jersey Congresswoman LaMonica McIver Faces Assault Charges
Newark, NJ – Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) is scheduled for a virtual court appearance Wednesday morning, facing charges of assaulting two federal agents. The charges stem from an incident earlier this month at a Newark immigrant detention facility.
McIver, along with two other members of Congress and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, visited the facility on May 9th to conduct what they described as congressionally mandated oversight. Following an altercation, both McIver and Mayor Baraka were arrested. Charges against Baraka were later dropped.
The congresswoman is expected to appear via video before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at 11 a.m. The judge will read McIver her rights and the charges against her, and then determine bail conditions.
In a recent CNN interview, McIver vehemently denied the charges, calling them “absurd” and “ridiculous.” She maintained she was simply performing her congressional duties and placed blame for the incident on ICE agents, alleging they escalated the situation. She further characterized the charges as politically motivated.
McIver’s court appearance comes as bodycam footage released by law enforcement appears to show the events leading up to her arrest. Prosecutors allege the footage depicts McIver assaulting a Homeland Security Investigations agent and an ICE agent. The Justice Department accuses McIver of physically confronting the agents, using her forearm to strike them and attempting to restrain one of the agents.
McIver has issued a public statement rejecting the charges and insisting her actions were justified. She claims she and her colleagues were conducting lawful oversight at the detention facility and that ICE agents created an “unnecessary and unsafe confrontation” by arresting Mayor Baraka.
Witness accounts suggest the incident began when officials denied Mayor Baraka entry to the facility, leading to an argument. Prosecutors contend that McIver interfered with agents attempting to arrest Baraka, forming a “human shield” to obstruct them.