According to authorities, Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark, was taken into custody on Friday afternoon for allegedly trespassing into an ICE facility in New Jersey, where he has been protesting its opening this week, a federal prosecutor said.
“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,” Alina Habba, the Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, posted on X.
According to Kabir Moss, Spokesperson for Ras Baraka for Governor Campaign, Mayor Baraka was brought to an ICE field office located at 620 Frelinghuysen Ave. in Newark.
“We are actively monitoring and will provide more details as they become available,” Moss shared with Black Westchester.
According to the Associated Press, Witnesses said the arrest came after Baraka attempted to join three members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation, Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver, and Bonnie Watson Coleman, attempting to enter the facility. When federal officials blocked his entry, a heated argument broke out, according to Viri Martinez, an activist with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. It continued even after Baraka returned to the public side of the gates.
“There was yelling and pushing,” Martinez said. “Then the officers swarmed Baraka. They threw one of the organizers to the ground. They put Baraka in handcuffs and put him in an unmarked car.”
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said that the lawmakers had not asked for a tour of the facility, contrary to witnesses’ accounts. The department said further that as a bus carrying detainees was entering, “a group of protestors, including two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility.”
Advocates Demand Immediate Release of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka
“No sitting mayor of an American city should be arrested for trying to inspect an immigration facility in their jurisdiction. ICE detention facilities are subject to inspection and oversight by elected officials. But in today’s climate, federal immigration enforcement has been emboldened by the callous and lawless actions of the Trump administration to the point of responding to that oversight with this reckless and irresponsible action. The arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is a step much too far. We demand the immediate release of Mayor Baraka, and for those responsible for this decision to be held accountable,” Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition, said in a statement sent to Black Westchester.
“ICE’s arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is a dangerous assault on our collective rights. This is not just an attack on Mayor Baraka, but an attack on the people of Newark. Until Freedom stands in solidarity with Mayor Baraka. We demand accountability and an end to these unjust actions by the Trump administration and the agents carrying out his agenda. Our communities will not be intimidated, and we will not back down in the face of oppression,” said Angelo Pinto, Co-Founder, Until Freedom.
The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) also condemned the detention of Mayor Baraka, and demanded his immediate release
“Mayor Baraka’s detention is an affront to free speech and the right to protest,” said CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut. “His actions were in defense of the Constitution and the rights of immigrants. We stand in solidarity with him and demand his immediate release. The Delaney Hall facility has long raised serious legal and ethical concerns, including its lack of proper municipal approvals and transparency. No facility that deprives people of their liberty should be allowed to operate in violation of local laws and without community oversight. Mayor Baraka was standing up for lawful governance, and for that, he should be commended— not criminalized.”
CAIR-NJ, whose mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims, calls on federal authorities to respect the First Amendment rights of all individuals and urges the immediate release of Mayor Baraka. They also called for a full investigation into the conditions at Delaney Hall and the legality of its operations.
No charges have been made public.
Stay tuned to Black Westchester for more on this developing story!
