Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Cleared of Charges as Trump’s ICE Sets Sights on Rep. LaMonica McIver

NEWARK, N.J.—In a significant triumph for democratic principles, the Trump administration has rescinded its trespassing charges against Newark's Mayor, Ras Baraka. These accusations aimed to suppress dissent after Baraka's unlawful arrest for attempting to inspect Delaney Hall, the largest immigrant detention center on the East Coast. On May 9, Baraka, alongside three local Congressional members—Reps. LaMonica McIver, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Rob Menendez, Jr.—sought to assess the facility's operations. With Baraka's case dismissed, Trump has refocused attention on McIver, a Black congresswoman, claiming she “assaulted” the ICE agent detaining Baraka. “We were performing our lawful oversight duties, and the charges against me are purely political,” McIver asserted. The GEO Group operates Delaney Hall, which opened without proper city permits, defying statewide prohibitions on private detention centers.