Newark mayor arrested at ICE facility while joining Democrats to conduct 'oversight'

Ras Baraka, the Democratic mayor of Newark, New Jersey, was arrested on Friday while joining members of Congress at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, according to interim US Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba, Report informs via ABC News.

Baraka, who is one of six candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in New Jersey's primary next month, "committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon. ... He has been taken into custody," Habba claimed on X.

No federal charges have been filed.

A spokesperson for Baraka's 2025 gubernatorial campaign confirmed in a statement that Baraka "was arrested and detained by ICE."

"We are actively monitoring and will provide more details as they become available," the spokesperson said.

Baraka and three members of the congressional delegation for New Jersey -- Democratic Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, LaMonica McIver, and Robert Menendez Jr. -- had gone to the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility to conduct oversight, according to Watson Coleman and McIver.

However, according to activists and the members of the congressional delegation, who spoke after Baraka's arrest, Menendez, McIver and Watson Coleman were permitted to be on the facility property while Baraka was not and was told he had to go outside the gate.