House Democrats have run to defend Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) after the Justice Department charged her with assaulting federal law enforcement while protesting President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
A federal prosecutor on Monday charged McIver with assaulting, resisting, and impeding law enforcement at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in New Jersey while also dropping the trespassing charge against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka from the same protest.
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The charges were brought by interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey, who previously served as Trump’s personal attorney and counselor to the president. McIver’s Democratic colleagues have backed her and labeled the felony charge as a “scare tactic” from the Trump administration. The attorney claimed that she tried to resolve the matter with the congresswoman without charges, but she declined.
“They’re trying to scare people to not ask questions, not do oversight,” Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) told the Washington Examiner. “They’ve clearly got the majority because there’s no oversight going on, and that’s why there’s so much chaos and corruption and cruelty from this White House, which the American people hate.”
“They’re not gonna scare any of us — bring it on,” the Ohio Democrat continued. “I mean it’s a terrible thing to do to the country, but we’re not scared at all.”
Democrats are expressing their support for McIver everywhere they can — traditional media, social media, and hearings.
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) called attention to roughly 35 people in the audience who came out in support of McIver, who is not a member of that committee.
“Let the record reflect, Mr. Chairman, the vast number of people who came in support of Rep. McIver,” said Johnson, who spoke at a hearing meant to discuss challenges to ICE’s deportation operation. “MAGA Republicans are using this hearing to justify the charges against her, and in support of the charges, they publish more video that demonizes people being held in private for-profit ICE detention facilities.”
McIver expressed her thanks for the support in a statement following the announcement, saying she is looking “forward to the truth being laid out clearly in court.”
Current and former Democratic leaders have said they will back McIver throughout the court proceedings.
“Members of Congress have a constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight of the executive branch wherever and whenever it is needed,” House Democratic leadership said in a joint statement. “We are lawfully permitted to show up at any federal facility unannounced to conduct an inspection on behalf of the American people.”
“Congresswoman McIver was conducting legitimate oversight of an ICE facility as permitted by law,” former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) posted on X. “I join my Democratic colleagues in the House in extending my full support to her.”
“I think what they’re doing is outrageous, and I think that this is typical of the Justice Department trying to intimidate anybody who might oppose them, whether they be an elected official, a judge, or anybody else,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told reporters Tuesday.
McIver was joined by Reps. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) for the May 9 protest at the ICE-run Delaney Hall detention facility. Department of Homeland Security officials said the lawmakers and Newark mayor disrupted the entry of a detainee transport bus and forced their way through the gate, placing officers in harm’s way.
Court documents include pictures of McIver during the protest that law enforcement say demonstrate her “multiple attempts to forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with the agents” as they tried to arrest Baraka.
Republicans and the Trump administration have also united around the decision to charge the congresswoman, saying “assaulting ICE” is the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “newest strategy.”
Trump “border czar” Tom Homan defended the DOJ bringing charges and dismissing McIver as “unprofessional,” contending there is “a right way and a wrong way” for Congress and lawmakers to conduct oversight.
“Call ICE and arrange a tour,” Homan told reporters at the White House. “We do them every day.”
“Forcing your way into the facility is not the way to do it,” he added. “Putting your hands on an ICE officer is not a way to do it. … You cannot knowingly harbor or conceal illegal aliens. It’s a felony. You can’t impede ICE law enforcement officers. It’s a felony. You can’t commit criminal trespass, and you certainly can’t put hands on an officer or employee.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), a centrist Republican, backed Habba’s decision, telling the Washington Examiner that McIver needs to be “held accountable.”
President Donald Trump bashed McIver after coming out of a meeting with House Republicans Tuesday morning.
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“Oh, give me a break,” the president said. “Did you see her? She was out of control.”
“The days of woke are over,” he continued. “That woman, I have no idea who she is, that woman was out of control. She was shoving federal agents. She was out of control. The days of that crap are over in this country, we’re going to have law and order.”
David Sivak, Naomi Lim, Ramsey Touchberry, Hailey Bullis, and Anna Giaritelli contributed to this article.