Photo: Seth Wenig/AP Photo
Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark, New Jersey, was taken into custody by federal agents outside of an ICE detention center Friday. Alina Habba, the acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, confirmed Baraka’s arrest in a statement on social media, alleging that the Democratic mayor failed to follow orders from Homeland Security agents on the scene.
“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 state. He has been taken into custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW,” Habba said.
Videos from News12NJ showed a chaotic scene with ICE and HSI struggling with a group of protesters and later escorting Baraka away in handcuffs:
Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested at the Delaney Hall ICE detention center after an argument with agents. Members of congress here for a scheduled visit, were shoved after trying to include Baraka in conversations after he gained entry through the gate.@news12nj #newark @News12NJ pic.twitter.com/6UDQWiIhQ7
— Amanda Lee (@amandaleetv) May 9, 2025
Baraka, who is currently running for governor of New Jersey, was part of a group assembled outside Delaney Hall, a 1,000-bed facility that opened earlier this month in Newark to support the Trump administration’s ongoing mass-deportation efforts. The mayor has long stood in opposition to the detention center’s presence in Newark; the city officially filed suit against its operator, GEO Group, alleging that the company’s renovations of the long-defunct facility go against city ordinances. On Friday, Baraka was joined by Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, LaMonica McIver, and Rob Menendez, House members from New Jersey who said they traveled to Delaney Hall to conduct oversight.
We’re at Delaney Hall, an ICE prison in Newark that opened without permission from the city & in violation of local ordinances.
We’ve heard stories of what it’s like in other ICE prisons. We’re exercising our oversight authority to see for ourselves.@RepLaMonica @RepMenendez pic.twitter.com/OIJuePH2XS
— Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (@RepBonnie) May 9, 2025
Baraka has protested outside of Delaney Hall before, as recently as Wednesday. He has demanded entry into the facility and alleged that its operators have continued to flout local law by lacking the necessary permits and inspections to operate. “The City of Newark will continue to uphold its responsibility to protect the well-being and rights of all who call Newark, and this nation, home. We will keep demanding entry into Delaney Hall and we will fight wherever we must to ensure no one is denied their right to safety or protection under the constitution,” Baraka wrote on social media Wednesday.
