Newark’s Mayor, Ras Baraka, was recently arrested during a protest at a new federal immigration detention center, an event that has stirred considerable controversy. Baraka, alongside three members of the U.S. Congress, faced allegations of trespassing after ignoring directives to vacate the premises at Delaney Hall. Although placed under arrest and held for a few hours, Baraka insists that he was invited for a press conference, challenging the legality of the arrest as he was apprehended on a public sidewalk.
An ongoing investigation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accompanied by the release of additional video footage has escalated tensions. Accusations have been made against Baraka by DHS, with claims that he is engaging in political posturing as he seeks his party’s nomination for governor. The assistant secretary for public affairs, Tricia McLaughlin, pointed to an ongoing investigation and criticized Baraka’s actions as politicized maneuvers.
Mayor Baraka is adamant in his resistance against the new facility, which has a 1,000-bed capacity, contending that it should not operate due to unresolved permitting issues. He has positioned himself firmly against President Trump’s administration immigration policies, linking them to his gubernatorial campaign against successor candidates to the term-limited Governor Phil Murphy. According to U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, Baraka knowingly defied the law, although video evidence suggests his arrest took place only after returning to a public area outside the detention facility.
Eyewitnesses reported that the incident escalated when Baraka tried to join U.S. Representatives Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver, and Bonnie Watson Coleman to gain entry into Delaney Hall, resulting in a heated debate with federal officials. Viri Martinez, from the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, described the scuffle that followed on the facility’s grounds, suggesting that officials took aggressive action by detaining Baraka and roughhousing one of the protest organizers.
The DHS later noted that the visiting lawmakers had not scheduled an official tour of the facility, claiming their actions disrupted the entry of a bus carrying detainees. However, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman refuted these assertions, emphasizing that their visit was consistent with their oversight duties and describing the DHS’s account as exaggerated and erroneous. The representatives argued for their unheralded access rights, a routine practiced at other detention sites, claiming that their presence was a lawful exercise of congressional authority.
Baraka’s arrest, caught on video, shows federal officials telling him only members of Congress can access the facility, prompting him to join protesters outside the gates before being dragged away by ICE agents. Rep. Menendez highlighted how ICE allegedly disrupted their oversight visit with intimidation tactics. Baraka continues to press for transparency regarding conditions inside the center, despite the legal proceedings prompted by his arrest.
Delaney Hall, a new venture under the management of private operator Geo Group, secured a 15-year contract from ICE valued at approximately $1 billion, an indicator of the broader strategy to expand detention capabilities across the nation under the Trump administration’s policies. Following this contract, Baraka initiated legal actions against Geo Group, challenging the legitimacy of the facility’s opening. Despite the confrontation, DHS maintains that Delaney Hall has been cleared through the proper regulatory channels, raising the stakes in this clash of local and federal governance.