Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Freed After ICE Facility Protest Arrest/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was released Friday evening after being arrested during a protest against a new federal immigration detention center. Accused of trespassing, Baraka had joined congressional lawmakers in objecting to the facility’s operation. His arrest has drawn widespread condemnation from civil rights groups and New Jersey officials.
Mayor Baraka Protest Quick Looks
- Newark Mayor Ras Baraka arrested protesting ICE facility
- Baraka charged with trespassing after dispute with federal agents
- Detention center operated by Geo Group under federal contract
- Baraka released hours later, calls for community unity
- Wife alleges political targeting by federal authorities
- Protest included NJ congressional representatives denied access
- DHS claims officials ‘stormed’ gate, video contradicts
- Baraka seen behind public fence before being detained
- Facility tied to Trump administration immigration expansion
- Critics say arrest violates civil and oversight rights
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Freed After ICE Facility Protest Arrest
Deep Look
Newark Mayor Arrested, Released After Protesting ICE Facility in NJ
NEWARK, N.J. — Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was released Friday evening following his arrest during a protest at Delaney Hall, a controversial new federal immigration detention center operated by private prison giant Geo Group.
Baraka, a Democrat and 2025 gubernatorial candidate, was detained on charges of trespassing after allegedly refusing to leave the facility’s premises during a heated confrontation with federal officers. The mayor had joined a protest condemning the facility’s opening and its broader implications for immigration enforcement under the Trump administration’s renewed crackdown.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Baraka told supporters after his release around 8 p.m. “We must stop those who try to divide us based on nationality or background.”
Baraka’s Protest Sparks Arrest
Baraka was participating in a demonstration alongside Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver, and Bonnie Watson Coleman when he attempted to enter the facility to inspect its conditions. A video obtained by AP shows Baraka returning to the public side of a gate before being surrounded and forcibly detained by ICE agents, some wearing face coverings.
“They didn’t arrest anyone else. They made an example out of the mayor,” said Linda Baraka, the mayor’s wife, who claimed she was denied access to see him.
The arrest triggered outrage from civil rights organizations, immigration reform advocates, and state officials, including New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, who emphasized that no state or local law enforcement were involved in the incident.
Federal Response and Contradictions
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused protesters — including two members of Congress — of “storming” the detention center’s gate as a transport bus was entering. But Rep. Watson Coleman dismissed that claim as false.
“We didn’t storm the detention center,” she said. “We were lawfully exercising our congressional oversight authority, as we’ve done before.”
The video shows a DHS official telling Baraka, “You are not a congress member,” as justification for denying him access. After rejoining the protesters behind the public gate, agents pulled Baraka back inside and arrested him.
“Shame!” protesters shouted as Baraka was dragged through the gate in handcuffs.
A Facility at the Center of Controversy
Delaney Hall, previously a halfway house, was converted into a 1,000-bed immigration detention center under a 15-year, $1 billion contract awarded to The Geo Group Inc. in February. The contract is among the largest and longest ever issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is central to President Trump’s nationwide expansion of detention beds.
Geo’s CEO David Donahue boasted during a recent earnings call that the facility is expected to generate $60 million annually, and said intake operations began on May 1. Mayor Baraka has filed a lawsuit attempting to block the facility’s opening over building permit violations.
The building sits adjacent to a county jail and is part of Trump’s broader effort to expand detention capacity from 20,000 to 23,000 beds.
Legal and Political Fallout
Alina Habba, interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, defended the arrest, accusing Baraka of “disregarding the law.” But video and witness testimony raise questions about the conduct of federal agents and the justification for his detention.
Rep. Menendez later criticized ICE for trying to intimidate both protesters and elected officials, saying the federal agency actively obstructed lawful congressional oversight.
“ICE tried to impede our legal right to inspect the facility,” Menendez stated. “It’s unacceptable.”
The mayor’s arrest has become a flashpoint in New Jersey’s ongoing political clash with the federal government over immigration enforcement, particularly the use of private contractors to detain immigrants.
Baraka’s critics accuse the Trump administration of weaponizing immigration policy, while his supporters call the arrest a dangerous precedent in suppressing dissent.
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