In yet more infuriating news to come out of the attack on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in New Jersey, body camera footage from an ICE agent involved in defending the facility has revealed that one Democratic member of Congress physically assaulted a federal agent during the incident.
As background, the attack occurred on Friday, May 9, when Newark, NJ, Mayor Ras Baraka and a number of Democratic members of Congress, alongside what appeared to be a gaggle of leftist agitators, tried storming the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, leading to numerous arrests.
the story took off online when Trump aide and interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba announced that the mayor had been arrested in a post on X, saying, “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.”
Then, more fuel was added to the fire by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which released a statement noting that numerous members of Congress had been caught attacking the facility. Commenting on the situation, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that the absurd stunt put lives at risk, saying, “Members of Congress storming into a detention facility goes beyond a bizarre political stunt and puts the safety of our law enforcement agents and detainees at risk.”
Continuing, the Assistant Secretary added that a tour would have been acceptable, but instead they trespassed, saying, “Members of Congress are not above the law and cannot illegally break into detention facilities. Had these members requested a tour, we would have facilitated a tour of the facility. This is an evolving situation.”
In any case, ICE bodycam footage from the incident, which has been revealed as disagreements over what happened and who is responsible explode online in the attack’s aftermath, shows Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) screaming at and physically attacking federal agents at the facility while screaming, amongst other profanities and threats, “I touch whoever I want motherf*cker!”
Conservative X personality Benny Johnson found and posted the footage on X, saying, “BREAKING: I have obtained exclusive ICE officer body cam footage clearly showing Democrat Rep. LaMonica McIver verbally and physically assaulting federal agents in New Jersey after illegally entering an ICE detention facility. In the video you can see indisputable evidence of Congresswoman McIver (in the red jacket) punch, push and hit a federal agent, refusing to follow the ICE officers orders and impeding in a lawful arrest.”
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Continuing, Benny noted, “In the body cam footage you can also watch Rep. McIver verbally threaten to “put hands” on the federal agents. “I touch whoever I want mother fu****!” Rep. McIver then threatens to destroy the ICE officers careers, “You will pay!” before descending into a profanity-laced rampage tirade. All of these actions are flatly illegal under 18 U.S. Code § 111 and carry heavy fines and prison sentences.” Watch Rep. McIver (in the red jacket) here:
Predictably, even after being caught on video attacking federal agents, Rep. Coleman insisted the incident was merely a peaceful visit, saying, in a statement alongside other Democrats involved in the attack, “At around 1pm today, my colleagues Rep. Lamonica McIver and Rep. Rob Menendez, Jr. and I arrived at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark to exercise our oversight authority as Members of Congress.”
She added, “Contrary to a press statement put out by DHS we did not “storm” the detention center. 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.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video