Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at ICE Detention Facility

⁢ Updated June 07, 2025
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Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has filed a lawsuit against acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Ricky Patel, claiming unlawful arrest and abuse of power. The suit stems from an incident last month when Baraka was‍ arrested while inspecting⁣ the Delaney Hall ICE jail in ⁣Newark, ‍operated by GEO Group.

Baraka, also a Democratic candidate for governor, alleges ⁤the arrest was politically motivated and intended to ⁢harass him. He maintains that he was on ⁤city business, ⁢ensuring the‍ facility complied with local⁤ ordinances. The mayor‍ asserts that he was initially granted access to⁢ the⁣ property, but later asked to leave and then arrested outside the premises.

The city⁤ of Newark, a ‍self-declared sanctuary city, is also facing ⁤legal action from the Justice Department over its immigration policies. The DOJ is suing Newark and other New Jersey cities, arguing their policies obstruct federal immigration enforcement. Baraka contends that Newark is not obstructing ICE but simply not ⁤assisting in⁤ what he describes as unjust enforcement actions.

Baraka argues that ⁤the charges against him were eventually dropped due to⁤ lack of evidence, yet the arrest involved unnecessary humiliation, including fingerprinting and a mugshot. He believes a simple summons would have sufficed.

They arrested me without any evidence, like the judge said… You⁢ investigate first, then make an arrest. You don’t arrest people, then investigate it.

What’s next

Baraka plans to continue his campaign for governor, advocating for policies such as single-payer healthcare, affordable housing, and⁣ a public bank to ⁢invest in underserved communities. He aims to create a “lab of democracy” in new Jersey, distinguishing the Democratic Party as one that governs for working-class families.