On Friday, May 9, Newark’s Mayor Ras Baraka was apprehended at a federal immigration detention center, following his outspoken protests against the facility’s recent opening. This unexpected turn of events has ignited a flurry of reactions across social media platforms and from various political analysts, highlighting the tensions surrounding immigration policies and local governance.

Mayor Baraka has taken a firm stance against the Trump administration’s approach to illegal immigration, vigorously opposing the establishment of the 1,000-bed detention center. He contends that the facility should not be operational due to unresolved building permit issues. In a show of solidarity, Linda Baraka, the mayor’s spouse, has publicly accused the federal government of unfairly targeting her husband for his activism.

“They didn’t arrest anyone else. They didn’t ask anyone else to leave. They wanted to make an example out of the mayor,” she emphasized, expressing her frustration over being denied visitation.

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Eyewitness Accounts of the Arrest of Mayor Ras Baraka

Footage of the arrest indicates that Mayor Baraka was taken into custody after he returned to the public side of the facility’s gate. According to witnesses, the incident unfolded when he attempted to gain entry to the facility alongside three members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation: Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver, and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

Viri Martinez, an activist with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, reported that a tense confrontation ensued when federal officials obstructed the mayor’s entry. The dispute persisted even after Baraka withdrew to the public side of the gates, illustrating the mounting tensions surrounding the anti-immigration policies.

“There was yelling and pushing,” Martinez recounted. “Then the officers swarmed Baraka. They threw one of the organizers to the ground. They put Baraka in handcuffs and placed him in an unmarked vehicle.”

In a video shared by the Associated Press, a federal official wearing a Homeland Security Investigations jacket informed Baraka that he could not participate in the tour, stating, “You are not a congress member.” After this interaction, Baraka exited the restricted area and rejoined the protestors on the public side of the gate.

A man in formal attire warned him through the gate, “They’re talking about coming back to arrest you.” Baraka confidently retorted, “I’m not on their property. They can’t come out on the street and arrest me.” Moments later, a group of ICE agents, some wearing masks, surrounded him and other protestors. Amid the shouts of “Shame” from the crowd, the agents forcibly escorted Mayor Ras Baraka back through the security gate in handcuffs.

Following the arrest, a large crowd gathered outside the Newark facility, protesting with chants of “Let the mayor go!”, demonstrating the public’s support for Baraka and their opposition to the detention center.

Response from the Department of Homeland Security and Pushback from Lawmakers

In an official statement, the Department of Homeland Security claimed that the lawmakers had not made a formal request for a tour of the Newark facility. Instead, they alleged that protestors and lawmakers had “stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility” just as a bus carrying detainees was arriving. Nonetheless, the DHS did not clarify why only Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested during this incident.

In response, a spokesperson for Watson Coleman, Ned Cooper, clarified that the lawmakers arrived unannounced earlier in the afternoon to conduct an inspection of the facility, which was not intended to be a scheduled tour. This distinction is critical, as it reflects their role in oversight of federal operations.

“They arrived, explained to the guards and officials at the facility that they were there to exercise their oversight authority,” he stated, noting that they were permitted entry to inspect the center between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Watson Coleman herself contested the accuracy of the DHS statement, asserting that it misrepresented the events during their visit. She emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in the operations of detention centers.

“Contrary to a press statement put out by DHS we did not ‘storm’ the detention center,” she clarified. “The author of that press release was so unfamiliar with the facts on the ground that they didn’t even correctly count the number of Representatives present. We were exercising our legal oversight function as we have done at the Elizabeth Detention Center without incident.”

The DHS further stated that the facility holds the necessary permits and that inspections have been completed successfully. Delaney Hall, the location in question, is a two-story building adjacent to a county prison that previously operated as a halfway house.

In a significant move, ICE awarded The Geo Group Inc. a 15-year contract to manage the Newark detention center, with the contract valued at a staggering $1 billion. This lengthy and substantial agreement is part of President Donald Trump’s initiative to expand detention beds across the nation this year. CEO David Donahue announced that the facility commenced its intake process on May 1.

New Jersey’s Interim District Attorney Addresses the Arrest of Mayor Baraka

Alina Habba, the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, publicly stated on the social media platform X that Mayor Baraka committed trespassing and disregarded multiple warnings from Homeland Security staff to vacate Delaney Hall, the detention facility operated by the Geo Group. Habba emphasized that Baraka has “chosen to disregard the law” and confirmed his subsequent arrest, asserting, “No one is above the law,” which underscores the principle of accountability.

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. He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this…

— Alina Habba (@AlinaHabba) May 9, 2025

Associated Press staff Jake Offenhartz, Claudia Lauer, and Rebecca Santana contributed to this report.