Federal grand jury indicts McIver
Congresswoman charged over insist to Delaney Hall
By: Katie Sobko
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... A grand jury has indicted U.S. representative LaMonica McIver on charges related to an incident at Delaney Hall in Newark last month, [05/2025] said a social media post by acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Hobba.
.....
McIver was at Delaney Hall with Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menedez to "inspect the treatment of ICE detainees at Delaney Hall." All three are Democrats.
..... The congresswoman said in a statement that the "facts of this case will prove I was simply doing mu job and will expose these proceedings for what the are: a brazen attempt at political intimidation."
..... "This indictment is no more justified Than the orgiastic charges, and is an effort by Trump's administration to dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused ans scare out of doing the work I was elected to do," McIver said. "But it won't work - I will not be intimidated. The facts are on my side. I will entering a plea of not guilty. I'm graceful for the support to my community, and I look forward to my day in court."
..... Habba said he federal grand jury "returned a three-count indictment" again McIver for "forcibly impeding and interfering with federal, law enforcement offices."
..... "It is my constitutional obligation as th chief federal law enforcement officer for New Jersey to ensure that our federal partners are protected when executing their duties," she said. "while people are free to express their views for or against particular polices, they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities those officers serve."
..... The three counts have a maximum penalty of eight years for count one, an additional maximum penalty of eight years for count two and a maximum penalty of one year for count three.
..... McIver's lawyer, Paul Fishman, who served as U.S. attorney for New Jersey during Obama administration, said June 10 [2025] that the "legal process will expose this prosecution for what it truly is - political retaliation against a dedicated public servant who refuses to shy away from their oversight responsibilities."
.... McIver said in a statement on May 19 [2025] that she and her colleagues were "fulfilling our lawful oversight responsibilities, as members of Congress have done many times before, and our visit should have been peaceful and short."
.... "Instead ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation when they chose to arrest mayor Baraka," she said. "The charges against me are purely political - they mis-characterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight."
..... Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, was arrested at Delaney Hall on charges of trespassing, but the charges have since been dropped. He is suing Habba alleging "false arrest and malicious prosecution," Fishman said in May [2025] the "decision to charge Congresswoman McIver is spectacularly inappropriate."
..... "She went to Delaney Hall to do her job. As a member of Congress, she has the right and responsibility to see how ICE is treating detainees," Fishman said. "Rather than facilitating that inspection, ICE agents chose to escalate what should have been a peaceful situation into chaos. This prosecution is an attempt to shift the blame for ICE's behavior to Congresswoman McIver. In the courtroom, facts - not headlines - will matter."
..... Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com