Alina Habba, the interim U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, has announced that Democrat Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) will be charged with assaulting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) indicated that the congresswoman will be charged criminally.
McIver was allegedly caught on video assaulting an ICE officer at Delaney Hall, a New Jersey detention center.
Habba released a statement saying that charges against Democrat New Jersey Mayor Ras Baraka would be dropped.
However, the statement confirmed that McIver would be charged.
In the statement, Habba wrote:
“After extensive consideration, we have agreed to dismiss Mayor Baraka’s misdemeanor charge of trespass for the sake of moving forward. In the spirit of public interest, I have invited the mayor to tour Delaney Hall.
“The government has nothing to hide at this facility, and I will personally accompany the mayor so he can see that firsthand.
“The citizens of New Jersey deserve unified leadership so we can get to work to keep our state safe.”
“The dismissal against the mayor is not the end of this matter,” she added.
“Representative LaMonica McIver assaulted, impeded, and interfered with law enforcement in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1),” Habba continued.
“That conduct cannot be overlooked by the chief federal law enforcement official in the state of New Jersey, and it is my constitutional obligation to ensure that our federal law enforcement is protected when executing their duties.
“I have persistently made efforts to address these issues without bringing criminal charges and have given Representative McIver every opportunity to come to a resolution, but she has unfortunately declined.
“No one is above the law — politicians or otherwise.
“It is the job of this office to uphold justice impartially, regardless of who you are.
“Now we will let the justice system work.”
After the announcement, McIver issued a statement in which she reiterated her defense that the trip was part of congressional oversight responsibilities.
“Earlier this month, I joined my colleagues to inspect the treatment of ICE detainees at Delaney Hall in my district,” she wrote.
“We were fulfilling our lawful oversight responsibilities, as members of Congress have done many times before, and our visit should have been peaceful and short.”
“Instead, ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation when they chose to arrest Mayor Baraka,” McIver added.
“The charges against me are purely political — they mischaracterize and distort my actions and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight.”
“This administration will never stop me from working for the people in our district and standing up for what is right,” she concluded.
“I am thankful for the outpouring of support I have received, and I look forward to the truth being laid out clearly in court.”
