Newark Mayor Arrested After Chaos Erupts During Democrat-Led Disruption at ICE Facility

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was taken into federal custody on Friday following a confrontation at the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in New Jersey, where he attempted to insert himself into a federal immigration enforcement operation alongside a group of Democrat lawmakers.

The incident unfolded during what was described as a “congressional oversight” tour involving three New Jersey Democrats. Tensions flared after Baraka, a Democrat, clashed with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers and ultimately ended up in handcuffs after refusing multiple orders to vacate the premises.

The dramatic scene was captured on video by local media:

WATCH:

U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba confirmed the arrest in a sharply worded statement, making clear that the mayor had violated federal law.

“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. He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW,” Habba said.

Baraka reportedly attempted to accompany the congressional delegation during their visit to the newly designated ICE facility at Delaney Hall. After initially being stopped at the entrance, he was later allowed inside—but allegedly went beyond the scope of his access, engaging in what officials described as unauthorized interference with federal operations.

Footage published by News12NJ shows the mayor being led out in handcuffs after a heated verbal exchange with HSI agents. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has since confirmed that his arrest was due to unlawful conduct during the visit.

According to Fox News, Baraka was released hours later.

“They treated me pretty well, so a lot of respect for those guys in there, but at the end of the day, we didn’t do anything wrong,” Baraka told reporters. “This should not have happened today, but it did, and it’s just an example of you know, the work that we have to do.”

Outside the ICE facility, a crowd of supporters—including Democratic members of Congress—assembled to demand the mayor’s release, chanting and banging on the facility’s gate.

Several Democrat leaders wasted no time politicizing the incident. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) called the arrest “disturbing” and “unnecessary,” while Gov. Phil Murphy (D) denounced the detention as “outrageous,” citing a state law he signed four years ago that sought to ban federal immigration detention centers from operating within New Jersey. That law is currently under legal review by a federal appeals court.

Meanwhile, Republicans slammed the episode as a political stunt gone too far.

Bob Hugin, chairman of the New Jersey Republican Party, criticized Baraka’s actions as reckless and self-serving.

“He’s not a mayor – he’s running for governor, and this stunt shows exactly what kind of leader he’d be: one who puts political theater ahead of public safety and the rule of law,” Hugin said.

From Washington, the Trump administration also weighed in, highlighting a pattern among Democrats of placing illegal immigrants above the interests of law-abiding citizens.

“As always, Democrats are prioritizing the welfare of illegal aliens over American citizens – except now they’re crossing the line between meaningless political street theatre and outright breaking the law,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital.

President Donald Trump has made it clear that immigration enforcement will be a top priority during his second term. With this latest incident, his administration has signaled that it will not tolerate interference from local officials attempting to undermine federal immigration law under the guise of activism or political ambition.