Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., was indicted Tuesday on federal charges related to a confrontation with law enforcement officers at a Newark ICE detention center last month.
Interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, announced on X that a federal grand jury indicted McIver on three counts of “forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers.”
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“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,” Habba stated.
McIver, who intends to plead not guilty, dismissed the charges as a political move.
“The facts of this case will prove I was simply doing my job and will expose these proceedings for what they are: a brazen attempt at political intimidation,” she said.
“This indictment is no more justified than the original charges and is an effort by Trump’s administration to dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused and scare me out of doing the work I was elected to do.”
The indictment comes three weeks after the Justice Department initially charged McIver with assaulting officers during an oversight visit to the ICE facility in May. During the visit, protests erupted outside, and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka—then a Democratic gubernatorial candidate—was arrested on trespassing charges. DHS officials claimed Baraka and others had “stormed” the facility. Charges against Baraka were later dropped.
At the time, McIver told reporters she had been “assaulted by multiple ICE agents.”
According to the indictment, McIver intervened during Baraka’s arrest, shouting “Hell no! Hell no!” and attempting to protect him by wrapping her arms around him. Prosecutors allege she slammed her forearm into one officer and forcibly grabbed another in an attempt to restrain him. The document also claims she struck a second officer with both forearms.
Habba noted that two of the charges carry a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, while the third carries a one-year maximum.
McIver’s attorney, Paul Fishman, described the case as politically charged.
“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 her oversight responsibilities,” he said. “We are eager to challenge these allegations head-on in court and fully expect the Congresswoman’s exoneration.”
Reactions to the indictment followed party lines.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., celebrated the charges on X, writing, “this is how it’s done!! Way to go @AlinaHabba!!”
Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., called the indictment an “attempt at political intimidation,” adding that McIver “and Congress won’t back down from our jobs of oversight and holding this administration accountable.”
