Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested on Friday, May 9, 2025, outside the Delaney Hall Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Newark, New Jersey, during a protest that included three Democratic members of Congress. The arrest occurred as Baraka attempted to join Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver in investigating the controversial reopening of the detention center, which has drawn criticism for its treatment of migrants.
Interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, announced on the social media platform X that Baraka was charged with trespass after allegedly ignoring multiple warnings from Homeland Security personnel to leave the premises. Habba stated, "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."
Baraka's arrest comes amid his ongoing protests against the opening of the Delaney Hall facility, which has a capacity of 1,000 beds and is operated by the private prison company GEO Group. The facility was reopened on May 1, 2025, as part of the Trump administration's strategy to increase detention capacity nationwide. Baraka has argued that the facility's operation violates local building permit regulations.
Witnesses reported that the altercation began when Baraka attempted to enter the facility alongside the congressional representatives. Viri Martinez, an activist with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, described the scene: "There was yelling and pushing. Then the officers swarmed Baraka. They threw one of the organizers to the ground. They put Baraka in handcuffs and put him in an unmarked car."
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed that the lawmakers had not requested a formal tour of the facility, asserting that they "stormed" the gates as a bus carrying detainees was entering. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated, "These members of Congress storming into a detention facility goes beyond bizarre political stunt and puts the safety of our law enforcement agents and the detainees at risk."
However, Watson Coleman's office refuted this characterization. According to spokesperson Ned Cooper, the lawmakers arrived unannounced at around 1 PM to exercise their oversight authority, stating, "They arrived, explained to the guards and the officials at the facility that they were there to exercise their oversight authority." They were eventually allowed entry between 3 PM and 4 PM.
Watson Coleman, who later spoke to reporters outside the facility, emphasized that the lawmakers were there to assess conditions inside. "ICE is out of control," she declared. "ICE thinks it can intimidate all of us. And it cannot intimidate any of us. And we the people will make sure that this administration adheres to the rules that separate us from dictatorships and other third world countries."
In response to Baraka's arrest, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) stated that Baraka "should be released immediately," highlighting the support Baraka has garnered from fellow Democrats amid his gubernatorial campaign to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy.
Baraka, a former high school teacher and community activist, has positioned himself as a progressive candidate in the upcoming gubernatorial primary scheduled for June 10, 2025. His campaign has received endorsements from several labor unions and progressive organizations. Baraka has previously criticized ICE's practices under the Trump administration, stating in a recent op-ed that elected officials have a duty to uphold the Constitution and protect civil rights.
The Delaney Hall facility has faced scrutiny from immigrant rights advocates, who fear that its reopening will lead to overcrowding and inadequate access to food, clean water, and medical care for detainees. The facility is part of a broader strategy by ICE to increase its detention capacity, with plans to expand from approximately 40,000 to over 150,000 beds nationwide.
In 2021, New Jersey passed a law banning private prison companies from operating within the state, but this law is currently under review by a federal appeals court. Gov. Phil Murphy expressed outrage over Baraka's arrest, stating, "I am outraged by the unjust arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka earlier this afternoon outside of Delaney Hall in Newark. Over the past few months, Mayor Baraka, as well as advocates, faith leaders, and members of our Congressional delegation, have protested the opening of a private immigration detention center in the city of Newark."
As the situation unfolds, Baraka's supporters continue to advocate for his release and to challenge the practices of ICE and the private prison industry. The incident has sparked renewed discussions around immigration policy and the treatment of detainees in the United States.
