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Feds Arrest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka at ICE Jail; Trump Admin Warns Dem. Lawmakers Could Be Next

HeadlineMay 12, 2025

On Friday, federal agents arrested the mayor of Newark, New Jersey, Ras Baraka, on trespassing charges after he joined a congressional delegation to inspect a privately run ICE immigration jail in Newark owned by the GEO Group. Baraka, who is running for New Jersey governor, was held for five hours.

The Department of Homeland Security has also threatened to arrest the three Democratic lawmakers who visited the ICE facility: LaMonica McIver, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Rob Menendez. A DHS spokesperson said more arrests are “still on the table.”

The ACLU of New Jersey described the arrest and threats as a “shameful escalation of the Trump administration’s intimidation campaign against officials who refuse to do their bidding.” We will speak to Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Congressmember Bonnie Watson Coleman after headlines.

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