A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Tricia McLaughlin, suggested on Saturday that the Trump administration might pursue arrests of House Democrats involved in a recent incident at a New Jersey ICE detention facility. McLaughlin claimed there is body camera footage of some lawmakers allegedly assaulting ICE officers, including an instance of body-slamming. This follows a Friday visit by three New Jersey Democratic representatives—Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver—who claimed they were conducting oversight at the Delaney Hall detention facility. They reported intimidation from ICE during their visit but did not observe any violence against ICE officers.
McLaughlin indicated that additional legal action against the lawmakers could be considered, stating that the investigation is ongoing. She later shared footage depicting chaos outside the facility and emphasized that assaults against ICE agents would not be tolerated.
In response to these allegations, Reps. Watson Coleman, Menendez, and McIver strongly denied the claims, expressing that the notion they assaulted officers is “absurd.” They criticized DHS and indicated that their rights as lawmakers to conduct oversight should not be impeded.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested for trespassing during the incident, labeled McLaughlin’s accusations as “ridiculous” and questioned the legitimacy of the claims, including the supposed body-slamming. He highlighted Watson Coleman’s age and physical capacity as implausible for such actions.
The narrative reflects a tense controversy between congressional Democrats and ICE, raising concerns over the conduct of federal agents and the boundaries of legal oversight. The situation continues to evolve, with various officials waiting for further developments.
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