House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has issued a warning to President Donald Trump’s administration over concerns that several Democrats will be arrested for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in New Jersey last week.
Jeffries, who previously argued that “no one is above the law,” warned against repercussions for his fellow Democrat lawmakers.
This is America.
No one is above the law.
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) April 15, 2024
Several Democrats clashed with federal agents at an ICE detention facility at Delaney Hall in Newark last week.
During an exchange with Fox News reporter Chad Pergram, Jeffries pressed what might happen if the House Democrats involved in the incident were to be arrested by federal authorities or get sanctioned.
Jeffries repeatedly warned that Trump officials will “find out” if any Democrats are arrested.
As the questions persisted, the House Democrat leader ultimately asserted that Trump would cross a “red line” by arresting lawmakers.
WATCH:
He also took a swipe at Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin.
McLaughlin told CNN that arresting the Democrats in question was “definitely on the table,” pending an investigation.
“It’s a red line. It’s very clear,” Jeffries said.
“First of all, I think that the so-called Homeland Security spokesperson is a joke. It’s a joke.
“They know better than to go down that road.
“And it’s been made loudly and abundantly clear to the Trump administration.
“We’re not going to be intimidated by their tactics.”
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who is running for New Jersey governor and is protesting the Delaney Hall facility, was arrested following the security breach last Friday.
Alina Habba, the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, said he “committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center.”
DHS said two House Democrats who joined Baraka that day and “stormed the gate and broke into” the facility.
Those U.S. House members were Reps. Bonnie Watson-Coleman (D-NJ) and Rob Menendez (D-NJ).
While the New Jersey Democrats insisted they were at Delaney Hall to conduct legitimate supervision, McLaughlin said in a post on X:
“Members of Congress cannot break the law in the name of ‘oversight.’
“All members & staff need to comply with facility rules, procedures, and instructions from ICE personnel on site.
“INCLUDING 24-hour notice.”
House Republicans have introduced measures to punish the Democrats involved in the altercation.
Those measures include a censure resolution against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), another lawmaker from New Jersey who was at the protest, and a resolution to strip them of their committee assignments.
On X, Pergram posted that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told a Fox News colleague he believes there “needs to be an appropriate measure taken” as the “video doesn’t lie.”
The comments were a reference to ICE body-cam footage showing part of the confrontation between the New Jersey Democrats and DHS agents.
He added, “I think it was wildly inappropriate for those members to do that, and we’ll have to take appropriate action.”
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