Newark Mayor Arrested At Ice Facility Claims He Was 'targeted' After Court Hearing

Ras Baraka, nan Democratic politician of Newark, New Jersey, and a campaigner for governor, appeared successful national tribunal Thursday for a position convention aft being arrested astatine an ICE installation past week connected a trespassing charge.

"We judge that I was targeted successful this," Baraka told reporters aft his tribunal day that discussed nan complaint against him aft he was arrested astatine nan Delaney Hall installation past week. 

"I was nan only personification arrested. That's right. You know, I was nan only personification identified. I was nan only person, you know, they put successful a cell. You know, nan only person, I deliberation that was successful cuffs to nan full process that's present this morning, going done this humiliation for these people."

In court, Baraka's defense squad contested his apprehension and declined to return a plea woody while arguing that nan authorities has not provided capable grounds to beryllium that he was lawfully arrested. 

WATCH: NEWARK MAYOR COMPARES SELF TO BIBLICAL HERO IN WAKE OF ICE PROTEST ARREST: 'THIS IS OUR DAVID MOMENT'

New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial campaigner Ras Baraka was arrested connected Friday for trespassing astatine an ICE holding installation successful Newark during a protest. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig and Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The defense had been hoping to spell to proceedings by precocious July, but nan judge said location whitethorn beryllium fierce find and clip is needed to group a proceedings schedule. 

Both nan prosecution and defense will taxable a schedule for nan court's information and nary adjacent day has been set. The defense requested each exculpatory grounds beryllium provided by May 19 and find by May 22, which some parties agreed to. 

The trespassing complaint against Baraka, a people C misdemeanor, has a statutory maximum condemnation of 30 days successful prison. 

Dozens of protesters gathered extracurricular nan national tribunal building wherever respective activists railed against nan apprehension of Baraka during a protestation astatine Delaney Hall attended by 3 members of Congress, who said they were successful attendance to execute their congressionally-mandated oversight duties related to national detention facilities. 

"Newark has go an epicenter for ICE’s panic and overreach," Viri Martinez, head of personnel empowerment astatine New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, told nan crowd extracurricular nan court.

AGITATORS CLASH WITH POLICE, ARRESTS MADE AS CLERGY MEMBERS DESCEND ON NEWARK ICE FACILITY

Security unit guidelines successful beforehand of Delaney Hall, a precocious re-opened migration detention center, successful Newark, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

"They tried their champion to humiliate maine and degrade me, you know, arsenic overmuch arsenic they perchance can," Baraka said aft nan tribunal proceeding, explaining that he was fingerprinted and his mug changeable was taken successful nan basement of nan court.

"But, I still feel. I still I consciousness for illustration what we did was wholly correct. Yes. We did not break immoderate laws. We stood up for nan Constitution of this country, the Constitution, nan authorities of New Jersey. And we stood up for nan section laws, that were put together by nan group of this city. And by nan group of this state."

The 3 legislature lawmakers and Baraka were extracurricular nan ICE installation past week pinch a group of protesters erstwhile nan gates opened to let an ICE autobus in. All 4 officials past allegedly rushed done nan gates and past security, according to officials from nan Department of Homeland Security. 

The apprehension came arsenic activists had been calling for entree to nan installation for days, which is simply a privately tally installation that was revamped arsenic an immigration detention installation this year.  

Mayor Ras Baraka joins citizens successful nan unveiling of a caller Harriet Tubman memorial, March 9, 2023, successful downtown Newark, New Jersey. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

"The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored aggregate warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to region himself from nan ICE detention halfway successful Newark, New Jersey this afternoon," U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba, who was coming astatine nan courtroom connected Thursday, posted connected societal media aft Baraka's arrest.

Protesters could beryllium heard shouting "Shame, shame, shame" astatine Habba arsenic she entered nan courtroom.

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House Republicans are informing that consequences are successful shop for nan 3 Democratic members of Congress who accompanied Baraka astatine nan protest. 

"Look, there's 3 imaginable disciplinary actions successful Congress that nan House tin take," Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters astatine his play property convention Wednesday regarding Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

Fox News Digital's Sandy Ibrahim contributed to this report