Just a day after the shocking arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka for allegedly trespassing at an ICE facility, the Department of Homeland Security has confirmed it may arrest Democratic members of Congress involved in a confrontation with law enforcement at another New Jersey ICE site. This is no longer business as usual.
We are now seeing elected officials—mayors, and potentially members of Congress—being targeted and cuffed. If this continues, how long before journalists like me are next? They are already calling for my arrest, but like the members of Congress who stood at the ICE facility, I am not backing down, and am not going anywhere. I can only continue this work with your support. Please consider subscribing today:
This moment marks a disturbing escalation under the Trump administration’s already aggressive stance on immigration enforcement. We’ve gone from arresting activists and undocumented individuals to now bringing in mayors—and a judge in Milwaukee was reportedly targeted not long ago. It appears the net is widening.
The DHS claims that members of Congress assaulted ICE officers. Specifically, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated they have body camera footage showing lawmakers allegedly body-slamming a female ICE officer.
The lawmakers involved—Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver, all Democrats from New Jersey—tell a very different story. They insist they were the ones assaulted.
Regardless of which version is true, what’s undeniable is that the threat of arresting sitting members of Congress for what looks like a political standoff sets a dangerous precedent. McLaughlin said arrests are “definitely on the table” and hinted that more are likely, confirming to Axios that these lawmakers could be next.
This isn’t just about ICE, or even about immigration. It’s about the chilling message it sends: dissent—especially from public officials—might now come with a pair of handcuffs.
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