TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — U.S. Representative Lamonica McQuiver was charged on Tuesday with a federal allegation claiming she assaulted and obstructed authorities outside a detention center in New Jersey.
Alina Habah, New Jersey’s U.S. attorney, announced the charges related to a significant trial in a post on X.
“Individuals are entitled to voice their opinions, whether supportive or opposing certain policies, but not in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities they protect,” Haba stated.
In her statement, McQuiver asserted that the charges are a tactic by the Trump administration intended to intimidate her.
“The evidence in this case will demonstrate that I am simply performing my duties and will reveal these charges for what they truly are: a bold attempt at political intimidation,” she remarked.
McQuiver, a Democrat, faced charges last month concerning two incidents stemming from a visit to Delaney Hall in Newark on May 9, a privately-owned facility with 1,000 beds utilized by immigration and customs enforcement, Habba reported.
The indictment comprises three counts: assault, resistance, and obstruction against federal officials. Haba indicated that two of these counts could lead to a maximum prison sentence of eight years, while a third count has a maximum sentence of one year.
In a statement, McQuiver, a former U.S. attorney under Paul Fishman in New Jersey, pledged to confront the allegations “head-on” in court.
“The legal proceedings will reveal this prosecution for what it truly is — political retaliation against a committed civil servant who refuses to shy away from her responsibilities,” Fishman commented.
The indictment marks the latest twist in a political legal saga in which President Donald Trump’s administration has targeted Democratic officials from New Jersey’s largest city, utilizing immigration enforcement measures against them. McQuiver’s prosecution represents a rare federal criminal case against a member of Congress outside of fraud or corruption charges.
On the same visit leading to McQuiver’s charges, Newark Mayor Las Baraka was arrested on trespassing charges, which were later dropped. Baraka is suing Haba for what he claims was a malicious prosecution.
A nearly two-minute video released by the Department of Homeland Security depicts McQuiver on the facility side of a chain link fence just prior to the mayor’s arrest amidst protesting crowds. The footage shows her and uniformed officials passing through the gates, shouting for her to join others in surrounding the mayor. The clip includes scenes of McQuiver interacting with a police officer in a dark uniform, raising questions about whether the contact was intentional or due to the chaos of the event.
The complaint alleges she “struck” an agent’s forearm and attempted to restrain him while trying to stop the mayor’s arrest. The indictment claims she repeatedly wrapped her arms around the mayor in an effort to impede the arrest and forcibly made contact with the agent.
On that day, New Jersey Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez were present with McQuiver at the detention center. They and other Democrats condemned the arrest and challenged the charges.
The law permits members of Congress to visit federal immigration facilities as part of their oversight responsibilities, without prior notice. This was clarified under the 2019 Expenditures Legislation, which established such authority.
McQuiver, 38, first entered Congress through a special election in September following the passing of Rep. Donald Payne Jr., thus filling the vacancy in District 10. She subsequently won a full term in November. A Newark native, McQuiver served as president of the Newark City Council from 2022 to 2024 before her tenure in the city’s public schools.
Source: apnews.com