Federal officials arrested Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark, New Jersey and a candidate for governor, during a protest over the Trump administration's housing of migrants at the private Delaney Hall detention facility that also drew multiple members of Congress — asserting that Baraka unlawfully trespassed on federal property and defied orders to leave.
The arrest, which follows other Trump administration arrests of local officials including a judge in Wisconsin, was met with immediate outrage by New Jersey officials, with several demanding his immediate release — and others saying that the stated reason for Baraka's arrest doesn't make sense.
"I am outraged by the unjust arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka earlier this afternoon outside of Delaney Hall in Newark," wrote New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, noting that the mere existence of Delaney Hall is in violation of New Jersey state law prohibiting private immigration detention facilities. "I am calling for his immediate release by federal law enforcement."
"ICE just arrested Newark Mayor Ras Baraka for trying to do his job and standing up for immigrant rights," wrote Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY). "He must be released immediately. This agency is out of control."
New Jersey's senators also weighed in on social media.
"This incident is disturbing, unnecessary and indicative of tactics that are undermining the safety and security of our communities, not adding to it," said Sen. Cory Booker. "Law enforcement officers should have deescalated this situation. Mayor Baraka should be immediately released. Moreover, the Trump administration’s decision to reopen Delaney Hall, a private, for-profit prison in our community, should have never gone forward."
Sen. Andy Kim, meanwhile, said the arrest doesn't add up. "I called ICE leadership who relayed that the mayor was arrested for trespassing. However, video clearly shows the mayor outside the gates of Delaney Hall facility when he was arrested. I’ve reached out to DHS Secretary directly and am in touch with the members of Congress who conducted the oversight inspection."
Meanwhile, all five of Baraka's opponents in the Democratic primary for New Jersey governor came to his defense as well.
"The scene outside of Delaney Hall today and the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is an absolute outrage. He needs to be released immediately," wrote Rep. Mikie Sherrill. "The Trump administration's decision to reopen Delaney Hall, a private, for-profit prison to detain immigrants won’t make New Jerseyans safer, and it won’t fix our broken immigration system."
"Newark Mayor Baraka should be released immediately. It’s absurd that he’s being held," wrote Rep. Josh Gottheimer. "As I’ve said before, the Trump Administration should not be using Delaney Hall, a crowded private prison, as an immigrant jail. It's an environment ripe with mistreatment and abuse."
"This is wrong and ICE actions should be condemned in the strongest sense," wrote Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop. "Regardless of your views on ICE, the law is the law — and any facility operating in a New Jersey municipality must follow it. If Delaney Hall doesn’t have proper local authorization, Mayor Baraka had every reason to be there, and every right to demand accountability. Instead, ICE arrested him."
"I’ve always known @rasjbaraka to stand up and fight for what he believes in. He absolutely did that today," wrote former New Jersey Senate leader Steve Sweeney. "Donald Trump’s disregard for the rule of law was on full display this afternoon — and every New Jerseyan should be outraged that federal agents would ever put their hands on @RepBonnie, @RepLaMonica, or @RepMenendez. The Mayor has every right to enforce the laws of his city and should be released immediately."
"What we saw today at Delaney Hall goes beyond politics," wrote former Montclair mayor and education labor leader Sean Spiller. "They can try to pick us off one at a time, but we won’t let them."