NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – New Jersey Democrat Rep. Ramonica McQuiver is set to make his inaugural appearance in federal court on Wednesday regarding the offense charge stemming from an attempt by immigration officers to arrest Mayor Baraka of Newark outside the detention facility.
Alina Haba, the acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, has raised accusations against McQuiver, a two-time elected member of Congress. McQuiver has refuted the claims, with Democrats uniting to support her.
The prosecutor’s complaint alleges that McQuiver attempted to thwart the arrest of Mayor Rus Baraka by physically confronting agents during a homeland security investigation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
McQuiver labeled the accusation as “entirely political”, while prosecutors accused her of misrepresenting her actions to obstruct legislative oversight.
Following Baraka’s arrest, Haba charged him with trespassing. However, the complaint was dismissed on Monday, as she announced her intention to indict lawmakers in a social media update. Baraka is also the Democratic candidate for governor in the upcoming primary election next month.
The prosecution of McQuiver represents a rare instance of a federal criminal case involving a member of Congress for accusations outside the realm of fraud or corruption.
This incident further illuminates the broader, significant challenges facing Democrats as they navigate immigration policy reform and related issues.
McQuiver’s Democratic colleagues have sought to quell dissent regarding immigration policies aimed at bolstering the President’s reelection bid, but this has now unfolded into a divisive barrier within American political dialogue.
Under current law, members of Congress have the authority to access federal immigration facilities as part of their oversight responsibilities, even without prior notice. This authority is outlined in the 2019 Expenditures Legislation.
A nearly two-minute video released by the Department of Homeland Security captures McQuiver on the facility side of the chain-link fence just prior to the mayor’s arrest outside. In the footage, she and the uniformed officers pass through the gates, shouting for her to join others and surround the mayor. The video depicts a crowd mingled with McQuiver, during which her left and right elbows make contact with a police officer dressed in olive green, wearing a dark face covering that identifies him as law enforcement.
The police bodycam footage does not clarify whether this contact was intentional, accidental, or part of a disordered scene.
The complaint states she “accused” her forearm and indicated that she “slammed” her arm against the agent before attempting to restrain him.
New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman was present with McQuiver at the Detention Center alongside Rep. Rob Menendez, informing reporters on Tuesday that they have arranged to meet with Haba’s office on Wednesday.
“It’s the first contact we’ve actually had from her, so I don’t know what she intends, but we’re always prepared,” she mentioned.
Watson Coleman further noted that Haba’s office indicated that the charges remain pending.
“It’s a possibility; it could be peculiar,” she remarked. “We’ll see.”
A message was left at Haba’s office for comment on Tuesday.
At 38, McQuiver first entered Congress via a special election in September after the passing of Rep. Donald Payne Jr., who left District 10 vacant. She was subsequently elected to a full term in November. A Newark native, she served as president of the Newark City Council from 2022 to 2024 before working within the city’s public schools.
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Writers Matt Brown, Joey Capelletti, and Rebecca Santana from the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: apnews.com