Newark Mayor Arrested Outside Immigration Center – “It Was Humiliating”

It was intended as a show of support. But when Newark Mayor Ras Baraka visited Delaney Hall on Friday – a newly opened immigration facility in the heart of his city – it ended with handcuffs and a charge of unlawful trespassing.

Baraka was taken into custody by around 20 armed ICE agents while standing on public property alongside members of the U.S. Congress.

According to Baraka, the arrest came as a shock: “I was there for over an hour, and no one asked me to move,” he said shortly after his release. “It wasn’t unbearable, but it was humiliating and uncomfortable,” he stated, according to CBS News.

A Battleground Between Local and Federal Power

The controversial facility, which can house up to 1,000 migrants, was quietly opened by the federal immigration agency ICE earlier this month.

This happened despite New Jersey having banned private immigration detention centers. Governor Phil Murphy called the opening “illegal” and announced that the state is already challenging the facility in court.

“Four years ago, I signed a law banning private immigration facilities in New Jersey,” Murphy said, calling for Baraka’s immediate release. “This is unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, federal prosecutor Alina Habba maintains that the mayor broke the law: “He chose to deliberately ignore multiple warnings. No one is above the law,” she wrote on social media.

“A Clear Attempt at Intimidation”

Congress members Bonnie Watson Coleman and Robert Menendez Jr., who were present, offer a different account.

According to them, Baraka’s arrest was meant as a political statement, not the result of any actual legal violation.

ICE and the Department of Homeland Security insist that the congressional members “rushed the gate,” endangering both staff and detainees. They also deny that the facility lacks proper authorization.

An Election, an Arrest – and a Fight on Principle

Ras Baraka is not just the mayor – he is also a declared candidate for governor.

His arrest adds a dramatic twist to an already heated debate about the state’s role in immigration policy. For him, it’s not just about one building, but about a principle:

With the words, “everyone should be afraid of what’s happening right now,” Baraka made it clear the issue is far from over.

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