A Democratic congresswoman has been indicted on multiple charges after federal prosecutors said she forcibly impeded and interfered with federal law enforcement officers during a protest at an immigration detention facility last month.
On May 9, Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) and other members of Congress embarked on a congressional oversight visit that coincided with an immigration protest at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. As authorities tried to arrest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, authorities say McIver blocked federal agents, put her arms around the mayor, and physically engaged with officers, slamming her forearm into one officer and grabbing another.
Ten days later, President Donald Trump's interim U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, Alina Habba, said she would dismiss trespassing charges against Baraka, but would file more serious charges against McIver.
"That conduct cannot be overlooked by the chief federal law enforcement official in the State of New Jersey, and it is my Constitutional obligation to ensure that our federal law enforcement is protected when executing their duties," wrote Habba at the time. "I have persistently made efforts to address these issues without bringing criminal charges and have given Representative McIver every opportunity to come to a resolution, but she has unfortunately declined."
On Tuesday evening, Habba said a grand jury indicted McIver on three charges that carry a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison.
“As I have stated in the past, it is my Constitutional obligation as the Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer for New Jersey to ensure that our federal partners are protected when executing their duties,” Habba said in a social media post. “While people are free to express their views for or against particular policies, they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities those officers serve.”
