Rep. LaMonica McIver indicted by grand jury over incident at ICE detention facility

[ad_1] A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver for allegedly assaulting regulation enforcement officers exterior of an immigration detention facility final month, officers introduced Tuesday.

The three-count indictment costs the Democratic congresswoman with "forcibly impeding and interfering with federal regulation enforcement officers" on the facility, New Jersey U.S. Lawyer Alina Habba mentioned in a put up on X.

"As I've acknowledged previously, it's my Constitutional obligation because the Chief Federal Regulation Enforcement Officer for New Jersey to make sure that our federal companions are protected when executing their duties," Habba mentioned. "Whereas individuals are free to precise their views for or in opposition to specific insurance policies, they need to not achieve this in a fashion that endangers regulation enforcement and the communities these officers serve."

The indictment is a regular procedural step after Habba's workplace charged McIver by way of a felony grievance final month.

McIver has vowed she is going to struggle the fees and plans to plead not responsible.

"The info of this case will show I used to be merely doing my job and can expose these proceedings for what they're: a brazen try at political intimidation," she mentioned in an announcement on X. "This indictment is not any extra justified than the unique costs, and is an effort by Trump's administration to dodge accountability for the chaos ICE brought about and scare me out of doing the work I used to be elected to do. Nevertheless it will not work -- I cannot be intimidated."

Police physique cam picture of New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver exterior of an ICE detention facility, in Newark, N.J., Might 9, 2025.

United States District Courtroom/District of New Jersey

On Might 9, McIver and some different members of Congress had been at Delaney Corridor, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, to conduct oversight.

Tensions escalated when a federal officer ordered Newark Mayor Ras Baraka to depart a secured space of the power or face arrest, and pushing and shoving allegedly occurred, in response to prosecutors.

"Throughout her continued makes an attempt to thwart the arrest, McIver slammed her forearm into the physique of 1 regulation enforcement officer and likewise reached out and tried to restrain that officer by forcibly grabbing him," the Division of Justice mentioned in a press launch on Tuesday. "McIver additionally used every of her forearms to forcibly strike a second officer."

Following the fees by way of felony grievance, McIver alleged in an announcement that the choice was politically motivated.

"The costs in opposition to me are purely political -- they mischaracterize and deform my actions, and are supposed to criminalize and deter legislative oversight," McIver mentioned.

Prime Home Democrats additionally launched a joint assertion final month defending McIver, vowing to "vigorously" reply to what they are saying is an illegitimate abuse of energy.

"An assault on one among us is an assault on the American individuals. Home Democrats will reply vigorously within the days to return at a time, place and method of our selecting," the leaders mentioned.