NEWARK, NJ – Ras Baraka, mayor of Newark, New Jersey, was arrested Tuesday morning during a protest and press conference outside Delaney Hall, a recently opened Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility. According to a report by The Guardian, Baraka was charged with trespassing after an encounter with federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
A report from The New York Times described the arrest as occurring during a “brief but volatile clash” between Baraka and a group of masked federal agents in military fatigues. The confrontation occurred last Friday, though it was not publicly reported until Tuesday. Following the arrest, Baraka was detained for five hours at another ICE facility in Newark before being released.
Delaney Hall, operated by the private prison company GEO Group, began housing detainees last week and is designed to hold up to 1,000 individuals at a time. Baraka had previously attempted to enter the facility for inspections, but had often been denied access.
The situation escalated on Friday. After being turned away that morning, Baraka returned later in the day to hold a press conference. According to his account, a security guard allowed him onto the property. “If I was on that property, I was invited there,” Baraka stated. “Somebody allowed me. I didn’t climb the fence, I didn’t kick the door down.”
After spending approximately an hour inside the facility, Baraka was asked to leave. According to the Times, two members of Baraka’s group and video evidence confirm that he complied with that request. However, as he exited the property, he was arrested by more than a dozen federal homeland security agents. “Guy told me to leave, I left. I’m gone,” Baraka recounted.
Despite Baraka’s claims, Alina Habba, former attorney for Donald Trump and the current acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, stated that Baraka “committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself,” according to The New York Times.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told CNN that “there will be more arrests coming.” She also raised the possibility that three New Jersey congressional representatives—Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver—could face charges for their participation in the protest. According to The Guardian, McLaughlin alleged that lawmakers endangered both law enforcement officers and detainees and cited body-camera footage that allegedly shows members of Congress “assaulting” ICE officers.
Delaney Hall is operated under a 15-year, $1 billion contract awarded by ICE to GEO Group, one of the country’s largest private prison companies. According to The Guardian, Baraka is pursuing legal action against GEO Group for allegedly renovating the facility without city inspection or the proper permits.
GEO Group has denied the mayor’s allegations, telling The New York Times that Baraka’s claims are a “publicity stunt.” The company stated that Baraka is welcome to enter the facility “as long as he follows security protocols like everyone else.”
However, The Guardian reports that video footage reviewed by The New York Times contradicts this assertion. In the video, a Homeland Security agent reportedly tells Baraka that he is not allowed to enter the facility—even though members of Congress were granted access for an oversight visit—and that he would be arrested if he did.
Baraka has maintained that he left the facility voluntarily and was still arrested outside its gates. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said. He also criticized the facility’s operations and lack of transparency, stating, “We don’t know what’s going on in there, we don’t know who’s in there. They don’t allow inspectors. They’re not complying with local laws…They feel like they don’t have to go to court.”
