Authoritarian Overreach? Trump’s Homeland Security Arrests Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka After Protesting Secret ICE Facility

As tensions mount over federal immigration enforcement in Democrat-led cities, Friday’s events signal a deepening standoff between local officials and the Trump administration over immigration policy, detention practices, and federal power.

Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka was arrested by federal authorities May 9 while protesting alongside three members of Congress at the controversial Delaney Hall Immigration Detention Facility, which has become a flashpoint in President Donald Trump’s expanded deportation campaign.

Baraka was taken into custody at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Newark after reportedly refusing to leave the premises, according to interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, a Trump appointee.

In a social media post on the X app, Habba said Baraka “committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings” and declared that no one is above the law.

The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey, this afternoon. He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this…
— Alina Habba (@AlinaHabba) May 9, 2025

Representatives Rob Menendez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and LaMonica McIver participated in the protest, which was part of an ongoing effort to oppose the GEO Group-run facility. ICE officials and Homeland Security described the demonstration as a “bizarre political stunt” (DHS statement). They accused the lawmakers of breaking into a guard shack, alleging the breach endangered detainees and officers.

“Members of Congress storming into a detention facility goes beyond a bizarre political stunt and puts the safety of our law enforcement agents and detainees at risk. Members of Congress are not above the law and cannot illegally break into detention facilities. Had these members requested a tour, we would have facilitated a tour of the facility. This is an evolving situation,” said Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security.

The facility, recently activated under a $1 billion, 15-year contract with GEO Group, began detaining immigrants last week and is expected to hold up to 1,000 people daily. Its proximity to major airports has made it a cornerstone of the Trump administration’s deportation infrastructure.

On Tuesday, Baraka led a predawn protest at the site, arguing the facility lacked city permits and a valid certificate of occupancy. Despite multiple appearances requesting access, city officials say GEO Group has refused cooperation.

At a press conference following the arrest, Rep. Menendez condemned the action as “an act of intimidation,” adding that more than 20 armed federal agents were deployed to confront them.

Watson Coleman, who said she was “manhandled” by ICE, accused the agency of abuse of power, while McIver emphasized that the group was conducting a lawful oversight visit, not trespassing.

“This is despicable,” McIver said. “And we should all be angry.”

In contrast, federal officials released a list of detainees at the facility accused of crimes including murder and drug trafficking, defending the site’s operations and legality.