Newark Mayor’s ICE Facility Stunt Endangers Law Enforcement

In a reckless stunt that endangered law enforcement, Newark’s Mayor Ras Baraka and three Democratic Congress members—Bonnie Watson Coleman, LaMonica McIver, and Rob Menendez Jr.—illegally trespassed into the Delaney Hall ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey, on Friday. Guarding prisons is already one of America’s most perilous jobs, especially when dealing with violent gang members like MS-13. Yet, these politicians chose to complicate that task with a photo-op protest that pulled guards from their duties and culminated in Baraka’s planned arrest.

The group exploited a bus entry to slip into the federal detention center, defying warnings from Homeland Security Investigations. U.S. Attorney Alina Habba didn’t mince words on X: “Mayor Baraka ignored the law and was taken into custody. No one is above it.” Baraka, conveniently running for governor, seemed to orchestrate the chaos for headlines, while his congressional allies fueled the spectacle.

This wasn’t oversight—it was grandstanding. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, another Democrat with gubernatorial ambitions, defended Baraka, claiming he had a right to demand accountability if the facility lacked local authorization. But there are lawful ways to scrutinize ICE without storming a prison housing murderers and rapists. The disregard for the officers forced to manage this circus was shameful. As a West Virginia police trainer recently told me, every encounter carries high or unknown risk. These politicians turned a secure facility into a stage, heedless of the potential for violence or distraction.

Democrats nationwide cried foul, framing Baraka’s arrest as Trumpian overreach, but where was their outrage when unchecked migration led to tragedies? If they want policy change, they should win elections, not harass law enforcement with dangerous theatrics. These four owe every officer an apology for the risks they amplified.