Democratic Congress Members and Newark Mayor Arrested During Oversight Visit at ICE's Delaney Hall

Three Democratic members of Congress, Representatives Rob Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman, and LaMonica McIver, along with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, attempted to enter the ICE's Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, for an 'oversight visit.' The lawmakers and the mayor were met with resistance from ICE personnel, leading to a confrontation after they rushed through the gates opened for an ICE bus. During the incident, Mayor Baraka was arrested for trespassing after he allegedly ignored multiple warnings to leave the facility. Representative McIver claimed that she and other lawmakers were assaulted by ICE personnel during the altercation, highlighting the lack of transparency around the facility's operations. The facility, recently reopened under the Trump administration and operated by the GEO Group, is currently housing alleged criminals including MS-13 gang members and individuals wanted for serious offenses. The lawmakers' actions were part of a broader protest against the facility's operations and conditions, with activists demanding transparency and access to inspect the facility, asserting that people deserve dignity.