Last week, two officials from New Jersey’s Democratic Party were arrested while protesting at an immigration detention center in Newark.
Among the demonstrators were North Jersey Representative Robert Menendez Jr. and Lamonica McQuiber, who were advocating for the closure of the Delaney Hall facility.
Footage from the Department of Homeland Security shows Menendez and McQuiber in a heated exchange with ICE agents at security checkpoints. In the video, McQuiber can be seen confronting ICE agents aggressively, attempting to push past them to gain entry.
Another Democratic representative, Bonnie Watson Coleman from Central Jersey, also participated in the protest.
DHS Deputy Director Tricia McLaughlin criticized the actions of the council members, stating that such behavior endangers law enforcement and the safety of those detained. She emphasized that Congress members are not above the law and cannot unlawfully enter detention facilities. If they had requested tours, it could have avoided such escalations, according to her.
Following the incidents, McLaughlin noted that the possibility of arresting the representatives wasn’t off the table. She mentioned having body camera footage of confrontations involving these officials.
Newark’s Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka joined the protest, only to face arrest for trespassing, according to federal authorities.
Menendez is expected to discuss the situation on CNN’s “coalition status” segment on Sunday, attributing the escalation of tensions to the immigrant staff. He claimed that the situation could have been managed better by ICE officials.
Regarding Mayor Baraka, attorney Alina Habba stated that he was warned multiple times during the incident and chose to disregard the law, which led to his detention.
Baraka was released later that evening to cheers from supporters and fellow protestors, including socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
In a statement issued Saturday, McQuiber alleged that she and her colleagues faced rude behavior and aggression from ICE agents, portraying themselves as victims trying to fulfill legitimate oversight responsibilities.
The group contends that Delaney Hall operates without proper authorization, a claim firmly denied by DHS. Detainees at the facility include individuals with significant criminal histories, including suspected members of the MS-13 gang and a 23-year-old connected to another Dominican gang.
