Congress vs. ICE: A Clash Over Oversight Rights

The political heat over immigration flared up in a significant way. Three New Jersey lawmakers and some protesters had a tense standoff with Department of Homeland Security officers. This happened outside an ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey. The spark that ignited the confrontation was the attempt to arrest Newark's mayor, Ras Baraka. He was trying to join the lawmakers inside the facility. The situation quickly escalated into a physical altercation. Officers and lawmakers pushed and shouted at each other. Eventually, Baraka, a Democrat, was detained for several hours before being released. The law is clear. Lawmakers have the right to enter any DHS facility used to detain immigrants. They do not need to give prior notice. This is all part of their oversight duties. A spokesperson for Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman confirmed that the group was allowed to enter and inspect the center between 3 p. m. and 4 p. m. After the incident, a DHS official suggested that charges could be brought against the lawmakers. They accused them of breaking into the facility, despite their legal authority to conduct oversight. The DHS released a statement accusing the lawmakers of being "holed up in a guard shack" after having "stormed the gate" to break "into the detention facility. " They claimed that this action put the safety of law enforcement agents and detainees at risk. Watson Coleman pushed back on this allegation. She stated that the group did not "storm" the detention center. She also noted that the DHS official who wrote the press release did not even correctly count the number of representatives present. During an appearance on CNN, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that ICE has footage that could lead to arrests of lawmakers. She mentioned that there is body camera footage showing members of Congress assaulting ICE enforcement officers. This includes an incident where a female ICE officer was allegedly body-slammed. McLaughlin stated that this footage would be shown to viewers soon. The videos released by the department show the arrest of Baraka. They also provide more angles of the physical altercations between federal agents, protesters, and members of Congress. One video appears to show Rep. LaMonica McIver using her body to push past federal agents to follow Baraka after he was placed in handcuffs and moved behind the chain-linked fence. Baraka, to whom the appropriations law doesn't apply, was held for a few hours before being released. It remains unclear why he was detained outside of the fenced-in area around the facility after he had already left the detention center. He stated that he was there as the mayor of the city, exercising his right and duty as an elected official. He was supporting the congresspeople and preparing for a press conference that was supposed to happen there.