Statements on the charges against LaMonica McIver

A federal prosecutor announced Monday evening that the government will drop trespassing charges against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka stemming from a standoff outside a migrant detention facility, but charged Rep. LaMonica McIver with assault for that same incident. Here are statements on that news:

GOV. PHIL MURPHY

“Members of Congress have an explicit right under the law to inspect ICE and CBP facilities for the purpose of conducting oversight.

It is outrageous for a Congresswoman to be criminally charged for exercising her lawful duty to visit a detention site in her own district.”

HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM

“After a thorough review of the video footage of Delaney Hall and a full investigation from HSI, the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey has made the determination to charge Congresswoman LaMonica McIver for assaulting, resisting, and impeding law enforcement officers.

No one is above the law. If any person, regardless of political party, influence or status, assaults a law enforcement officer as we witnessed Congresswoman McIver do, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

We thank our brave ICE law enforcement officers for their service to this great nation.”

SENATOR CORY BOOKER

“These charges are clearly unfounded. Representative McIver was exercising her legally protected authority as a member of Congress to conduct oversight of a detention center that receives millions of taxpayer dollars. Federal officials unnecessarily escalated what should have been a run-of-the-mill inspection of the facility. In fact, Representative McIver’s actions were so unremarkable that she was invited back inside to finish her tour that day, after these events took place.

Pursuing this case against Representative McIver will divert considerable resources away from serious matters of public safety. The Department of Justice should drop these charges immediately.”

SENATOR ANDY KIM

“The decision by the US Attorney to charge @RepLaMonica has nothing to do with enforcing the law, and everything to do with this administration’s attempt to intimidate those who dare speak against them or expose the truth.

Congresswoman McIver was in the process of conducting oversight, which is her right and responsibility.

It’s important that we stand up to protect that right, and I’m proud to join my colleagues to stand beside her to ensure that the people of our state can never be silenced.”

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

“Give me a break. Did you see her? She was out of control. Those days are over. The days of woke are over. That woman — I have no idea who she is — that woman was out of control … the days of that crap are over in this country. We’re going to have law and order.”

NEW JERSEY ATTORNEY GENERAL MATT PLATKIN

“We have long counted on a partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to keep New Jerseyans safe from harm. But instead of focusing on the pressing threats that matter to New Jersey families, Interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba has chosen to spend her time engaging in political stunts, often making irresponsible and unethical statements on cable TV or social media without bothering to understand the facts or law at issue. Charging a member of Congress who was conducting lawful oversight is an extraordinary step that requires clear evidence of criminal conduct and intent. Prosecutors have a duty to discharge their powers responsibly and fairly, and Alina Habba would do well to remember that.”

REP. ROB MENENDEZ

“Arresting a Member of Congress for doing their job will go down as one of the darkest days of the Trump Administration yet. Having witnessed everything that occurred that day firsthand, I strongly believe that the Administration should be apologizing to Representative McIver, not arresting her on unprecedented, politicized charges.

Every American should see this for what it is: the weaponization of the justice system in a shameful attempt to bully and intimidate those of us who stand in the way of the President’s agenda. If the Administration can do this to an elected official, they can do it to any American. This is a clear attempt to silence not just Members of Congress but all Americans. And this is our response to the Administration: we will not back down, and we will not be intimidated. We were sent here to fight for the people we represent, and that’s precisely what we will continue to do.”

REP. BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN

“This case is an assault on civil liberties and an attempt to silence political opposition. I was with Congresswoman LaMonica McIver and Congressman Rob Menendez at Delaney Hall and I saw what happened.

These allegations are simply incorrect and inconsistent with the facts. We were present to exercise our oversight responsibilities and in my view, the ICE agents needlessly chose to create a tense and dangerous situation by arresting Mayor Baraka.

This prosecution is wrong and alarming, as it is just one more example of the Trump administration ignoring the rule of law and attempting to run roughshod over the other branches of government-here, the Congress.

Everyone who values democratic principles should join me in demanding that the U.S. Attorney withdraw these baseless charges.”

REP. NELLIE POU

“I am disgusted and outraged that the Justice Department, through Donald Trump’s personal lawyer and hand-picked U.S. Attorney, is attempting to prosecute a sitting member of Congress on blatantly trumped-up, phony charges. Congresswoman McIver did nothing wrong except exercise her duty as a sitting member of Congress to call out excesses by the government. For a Justice Department so concerned about purported trespassing, I would remind everyone of the over 1,500 January 6 rioters who were given unconditional pardons after storming the Capitol to overturn the 2020 election.

This prosecution is nothing but cold vengeance and an abuse of power by a heavily politicized Justice Department and an unqualified temporary prosecutor whose only qualification to be United States Attorney is praising her boss in front of TV cameras. As a democracy, all Americans must be allowed to protest government corruption without fear of persecution or prosecution. These charges should be thrown out of court.”

REP. FRANK PALLONE

“This is a purely political act to stop a Member of Congress from doing her job. Oversight is not a criminal offense unless you are living under a fascist regime. Like all Members of Congress, Representatives Menendez, Watson Coleman, and McIver have authority under the law to conduct oversight visits at federal ICE detention facilities. Instead, they were met by heavily armed agents with covered faces and no identification. Democratic lawmakers were delayed and harassed for doing their job, and now the Trump Administration is abusing their power to sideline their political opponents. I stand with Representative McIver and all my New Jersey colleagues. We must not stay silent while Trump and his lawless administration tears the Constitution to shreds.”

REP. MIKIE SHERRILL

“This is another brazen and unlawful abuse of power by Trump loyalist, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba. The Trump Administration had no case against Mayor Baraka, so they are now taking aim at Rep. McIver, a move straight out of Trump’s authoritarian playbook. It is a sham. I’ll continue to stand with Rep. McIver as we hold this administration accountable for its blatant abuse of power and carry out oversight responsibilities.

Donald Trump’s contempt for the Constitution is once again on full display – and make no mistake, weaponizing the justice system to target political opponents threatens the very foundation of our republic. This is a calculated assault from the Trump Administration, and the justice system must soundly reject these authoritarian actions.”

REP. JOSH GOTTHEIMER

“This couldn’t be more clear: Members of Congress have a Constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight over federal agencies. The Trump Administration is blatantly interfering with that authority to further its extreme political agenda.

The judicial system must reject any attempt to weaponize justice against political opponents — including my colleague, Congresswoman McIver.”

NEW JERSEY STATE DEMOCRATIC CHAIR LEROY JONES JR.

“The charges waged by Donald Trump and Alina Habba against Congresswoman LaMonica McIver are a politically motivated miscarriage of justice. Rep. McIver is a dedicated public servant who arrived at Delaney Hall ICE Detention Center on May 9th with her colleagues to provide oversight, as our Constitution demands of her. Trump and Habba are now attempting to rewrite the reality of what happened—but we can all see with our own eyes how she was attacked for doing her job. Rep. McIver’s resilience in the face of prosecution is a testament to her character and leadership—and we stand with her in this fight for our democracy.”

RANKING MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Reps. Jamie Raskin, Pramila Jayapal, Jasmine Crockett, Mary Gay Scanlon, Jerrold Nadler, Hank Johnson, Lucy McBath

“The targeting of Representative McIver is a blatant attempt to intimidate Members of Congress and to block our oversight of this administration’s actions, which have been enjoined more than 150 times by federal courts. We stand by Representative McIver’s exercise of her constitutional rights and duties. If you come for the legal rights of one of us, you come for the rights of all of us.

Members of Congress have the right to conduct oversight, full stop – whether that’s holding Cabinet officials accountable or visiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities. Representative McIver was performing her proper oversight role, a role she was elected by the American people to do — and even participated in a one-hour tour after the incident occurred.

Charging Members of Congress for doing our jobs is a dangerous precedent to set. It reveals the increasingly authoritarian nature of this Administration and its relentless, illegal attempts to suppress any dissent or oversight, including from judges, Members of Congress, and the American people, which check lawless executive power. Representative McIver has our full support, and we will do everything in our power to help fight this outrageous threat to our constitutional system.”

REP. and FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI

“The baseless charges against Congresswoman LaMonica McIver are nothing more than a political stunt and a brazen attack on the constitutional Article One powers of the Congress.

Congresswoman McIver was conducting legitimate oversight of an ICE facility as permitted by law. I join my Democratic colleagues in the House in extending my full support to her.

Thank you, @RepLaMonica, for exercising your rights and duties as a U.S. Representative — and therefore defending all of our rights as Members of Congress.”

REP. MARK GREEN (R-TN), chair of Homeland Security Committee

“Like most Americans, I am so tired of seeing those on the Left constantly get away with their lawless, criminal behavior. I fully support the Trump administration’s decision to charge Mrs. McIver, who sits on the Homeland Security Committee, of all places, for her actions that are clearly documented on video. I will continue to work with House leadership to ensure we do our part to hold her accountable, as well. We need to send a clear message to would-be lawbreakers around this country—under this administration, no matter how privileged you are, you will be subject to the rule of law.”

REP. GERRY CONNOLLY (D-VA), ranking member of House Oversight Committee

“I stand with Congresswoman McIver and stand by her constitutional duty to conduct responsible oversight as a representative of the people of Newark.

This Administration’s unprecedented attempts to silence opposition, scare people into submission, and seize more power is a brazen assault on our nation’s separation of powers and the very foundation of our democratic republic.

We find ourselves as a Congress and a nation at a consequential inflection point: Will we stand by as one branch of government illegally tramples the rights of another and those of the people we were elected to represent? Or will we unite with clarity and moral outrage against these politically motivated charges designed to intimidate those who would speak out against the unlawful and corrupt atrocities of this President and Administration. House Democrats will not backdown.”

NEW JERSEY WORKING FAMILIES PARTY STATE DIRECTOR ANTOINETTE MILES

“The charges brought against Congresswoman McIver represent an extraordinary overreach and abuse of power by a corrupt Trump Administration hellbent on targeting elected officials.

This is a political prosecution meant to intimidate and silence a Member of Congress for doing the job that she was elected to do.

We stand with Congresswoman McIver against the Trump Administration’s blatant disregard for the Constitution.”