Tensions Explode as Newark Mayor Defies DHS Orders, Detained After Forcing Entry Into ICE Detention Center
In a dramatic escalation of local defiance against federal immigration enforcement, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested Friday and charged with criminal trespass after he stormed an ICE detention facility in New Jersey.
According to Interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, Baraka was taken into custody after ignoring multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents during an unannounced entry into Delaney Hall Detention Facility, a newly opened ICE center near Newark Liberty International Airport.
“The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings… That will not stand in this state,” Habba declared. “No one is above the law.”
Altercation Erupts at Delaney Hall
Baraka was reportedly accompanying members of Congress during an unapproved inspection of the facility when an altercation broke out. News12NJ reports that Baraka was shouting at federal agents and forced entry through the gate before being cuffed and escorted out by law enforcement.
The facility, which began operations in February, was hailed by ICE as a critical component of President Trump’s immigration enforcement plan.
“The facility will expand ICE’s detention capacity in the Northeast,” ICE Director Caleb Vitello stated earlier this year. “It streamlines logistics and fulfills the President’s mandate to arrest, detain, and remove illegal aliens.”
Baraka, a vocal critic of federal immigration policy, has long opposed ICE operations in New Jersey. Friday’s incident marks the first time in recent memory that a sitting mayor has been arrested for physically interfering with federal immigration enforcement.
Democrats Clash with ICE Mandate
The new ICE facility has become a flashpoint in the ongoing political war over immigration enforcement, with Democrats accusing the Biden-Trump transition administration of “cruelty” and Republicans calling for restored law and order.
Baraka’s arrest now becomes a symbolic moment in the immigration battle—one that may energize the left while reinforcing conservative demands for legal accountability.
As Baraka remains in custody, the Department of Justice is expected to proceed with charges. A court date has not yet been announced.