NEWARK, N.J. (WPIX) – The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, was taken into custody by Homeland Security at an ICE facility on Friday afternoon, according to Alina Habba, the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.
“The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon,” reads a post Habba shared to social media.
Baraka was visiting Delaney Hall to conduct oversight after the building was turned into an ICE facility. The mayor has been protesting the opening of the facility throughout this week, saying its operators did not get proper permits.
Witnesses said the arrest came after Baraka attempted to join a scheduled tour of the facility with three members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation, Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver, and Bonnie Watson Coleman.
When federal officials blocked his entry, a heated argument broke out, according to Viri Martinez, an activist with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. It continued even after Baraka returned to the public side of the gates.
“The agents started intimidating and putting their hands on the congresswomen. There was yelling and pushing,” Martinez said. “Then the officers swarmed Baraka. They threw one of the organizers to the ground. They put Baraka handcuffs and put him in an unmarked car.”
Delany Hall was leased for $63 million annually from a private prison group known as The GEO Group. The city of Newark is suing for more inspections, claiming ICE has not indicated how many detainees it has in the building, which can only house 1,000 people.
Baraka said Monday that the issues at Delany Hall go beyond the lack of safety inspections and proper permits.
This is a developing story. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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