DOJ Charges Rep. LaMonica McIver with Assault Over Altercation at ICE Detention Facility in New Jersey

The Justice Department charged Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) over a scuffle with law enforcement outside an ICE facility in New Jersey last week. Why it matters: McIver is the first federal officeholder targeted by the the Trump administration as they aggressively prosecute politicians who open themselves up to legal liability while opposing the president's mass deportations. McIver has strongly denied assaulting law enforcement during the clash, saying she was the one who was assaulted. In a Monday statement, she called the charges against her "purely political" and said they are "meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight."

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. McIver, a Newark Democrat, visited a newly reopened migrant detention center in her hometown with several other Democrats for an oversight visit. At one point during the visit, federal police decided to arrest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who also asked to access the facility, on the grounds of trespassing. While approaching to arrest the mayor, a small scuffle broke out. Habba alleges McIver committed assault and impeded law enforcement during that scuffle.

The Department of Justice also announced it was dropping criminal charges against the city’s mayor stemming from the same episode.