A Democratic congresswoman was charged with assault Monday by President Donald Trump’s handpicked U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey.
U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver is facing a federal assault charge over a confrontation with authorities while she was visiting an ICE detention facility in her home state of New Jersey earlier this month.
The charge was announced Monday by Alina Habba, a former personal attorney for Trump whom he nominated earlier this year to serve as acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey.
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Habba said her office had agreed to dismiss a misdemeanor charge against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested during the incident.
She alleged, however, that McIver “assaulted, impeded and interfered with law enforcement.”
“No one is above the law—politicians or otherwise," Habba’s statement said. “It is the job of this office to uphold justice impartially, regardless of who you are. Now we will let the justice system work.”
Reacting to the news, McIver issued a statement calling the charges “purely political.”
“Earlier this month, I joined my colleagues to inspect the treatment of ICE detainees at Delaney Hall in my district,” she said, adding that the visit “should have been peaceful and short.”
“Instead, ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation when they chose to arrest Mayor Baraka,” she continued. “The charges against me are purely political—they mischaracterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight."
“I look forward to the truth being laid out clearly in court,” she concluded.
Three Democratic members of Congress—Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Robert Menendez Jr. and McIver—showed up at the immigration detention center on May 9, intending to inspect the facility. Chaos erupted when federal agents arrested Baraka, accusing him of trespassing in a fenced-off area at the facility. This set off a scuffle in a parking lot outside the fence where protesters had gathered.
McIver said shortly afterward that she and Watson Coleman were “assaulted” during the skirmish and that Menendez was “roughed up.” Menendez also likened what happened to McIver to “assault.”
Video of the incident shows the lawmakers being jostled in a tense and tight crowd that included ICE agents.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem last week accused the lawmakers of committing “felonies” and “attacking people who stand up for the rule of law.” Other Trump administration officials had also previously warned that more arrests could be coming, drawing outrage from Democrats and causing even some Republicans to raise their eyebrows.
Monday’s development prompted strong rebukes from House Democratic leadership, who in a statement called it a “blatant attempt by the Trump administration to intimidate Congress and interfere with our ability to serve as a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also weighed in, calling the charges “nothing more than a political stunt.”
The Trump administration did not immediately return the Daily Beast’s request for comment.
New Jersey state Attorney General Matthew Platkin issued a scathing statement calling out Habba.
He accused her of engaging in political stunts and “often making irresponsible and unethical statements on cable TV or social media without bothering to understand the facts or law at issue.”
“Charging a member of Congress who was conducting lawful oversight is an extraordinary step that requires clear evidence of criminal conduct and intent,” he wrote.
