Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Arrested at ICE Facility Amid Political Tensions
Meta Description: Newark Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Ras Baraka was arrested on May 9, 2025, outside the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey, during a protest against the facility’s operations.
On May 9, 2025, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a well known Democratic politician and candidate for governor, was arrested outside the Delaney Hall immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, while protesting its operation. Baraka and other local officials claimed that the Delaney facility began operating without permission and without the needed input from the community.
History of Delaney Hall and the Protest
Delaney Hall is a private detention center, operated by GEO Group. After reopening earlier in May, Delaney Hall has received undocumented immigrants detained by ICE. Local elected officials, including Baraka, claim the facility has not obtained the necessary permits and the facility poses potential dangers to the community, because safety is not up to code.
Baraka was at Delaney Hall with U.S. Representatives Robert Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman and LaMonica McIver for an oversight visit and while the Congressmembers were let into the facility, Baraka was arrested by federal agents.
The Arrest
Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba explained that Baraka was arrested for trespassing and ignoring a number of alerts from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents for him to leave the site. Baraka asserts that he was not protesting but simply lending support to the congressional delegation and oversight of the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA). He maintains that he had not been informed of any obligation to leave the area and that the arrest was baseless.
Baraka was charged with one count of trespassing and was released later that evening. Baraka called his arrest “humiliating,” but insisted that he will defend the rights and safety of Newark residents.
Political Reaction and Implications
The arrest has drawn political rebuke from a variety of Democratic officials and civil rights advocates. Governor Phil Murphy, Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, and a host of other prominent individuals denounced his arrest as a politically motivated, blatant misuse of federal power, saying the incident was indicative of the Trump administration’s aggressive stance on enforcement on immigration and disavowed local authority.
That said, federal officials, including U.S. Attorney Habba, defended the arrest by saying that no one is above the law and that Baraka’s activities were endangering the safety of people during the transport of detainees. They insisted that Delaney Hall is operating with all valid permits and that the protest was simply a political stunt.
Larger Context and Continuing Legal Challenges
The incident at Delaney Hall highlights the ongoing conflicts between federal immigration authorities and local governments, particularly in cities that consider themselves sanctuaries like Newark. In 2021, New Jersey passed a law restricting the operation of private immigration detention centers, but parts of the law were struck down by a federal court and are on appeal.
Mayor Baraka’s arrest brings yet another layer to the ongoing legal and political battles over immigration enforcement in the state. His campaign for governor has emphasized not only opposing private detention centers, but also advocating for immigrant rights, issues that will likely receive additional attention as a result of this incident.
Conclusion
The arrest of Mayor Ras Baraka at the Delaney Hall ICE Facility has reignited the debate on ICE enforcement and the authority of federal versus local governments. As the legal proceedings unfold and the political campaigns continue, the event will serve as an opportunity to talk about civil liberties, government accountability, and how undocumented immigrants should be treated in the United States.
For further coverage on this developing story, you can refer to the following sources:
- The Daily Beast
- The Wall Street Journal
- New York Magazine
- Reuters
- CBS News
- Associated Press
- Al Jazeera
- ABC 7 New York
