Trump's Ex-Lawyer Said He Broke the Law — 'Period, the End'
Ras Baraka, Mayor of Newark, "We Shall Not Be Moved" Rally, Washington DC, 2017. Photo by Lorie Shaull under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) expected headlines when he showed up at a controversial ICE facility protest. But he likely didn't anticipate leaving in the back of a Homeland Security SUV — hands cuffed behind his back, surrounded by federal agents, and watched by a growing sea of supporters chanting for his release.
Hours later, Trump's former personal attorney and current top federal prosecutor in New Jersey, Alina Habba, was on Fox News calling the arrest a win for the law. For her, it wasn't just a criminal charge — it was a political statement.
The Setup: A Mayor, a Bulldozer, and a Campaign Promise
Baraka, a frontrunner in New Jersey's hotly contested gubernatorial race, has made shutting down the newly reactivated Delaney Hall ICE detention center a centerpiece of his platform. The facility, operated by GEO Group under a 15-year, $1 billion federal contract, reopened May 1 despite objections from local officials and an ongoing legal battle over its permits.
Just days before his arrest, Baraka appeared outside the site with protesters and a bulldozer, vowing daily demonstrations until the facility was closed.
But on Friday, as Baraka joined three New Jersey Democratic Congress members to inspect the facility, things escalated quickly. Federal officials allege that Baraka trespassed, ignored warnings from Homeland Security Investigations agents, and refused to leave — prompting his arrest inside the secure area, according to Mediaite.
The Clash: What Happened at Delaney Hall?
Here's where the accounts diverge.
Habba, now the acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, says Baraka "was warned, was asked to leave several times" and refused to leave, according to the New York Post.
Official portrait of Alina Habba as interim District Attorney for the District of New Jersey, 2025. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Justice. Public domain.
But Baraka's allies claim otherwise. Newark City Councilmember Kenyatta Stewart said Baraka had been invited inside, left when asked, and was arrested outside the facility's gates — not while trespassing.
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman echoed that version, stating the lawmakers had full legal authority to conduct inspections and that they had already been inside and talking to detainees. "We were there almost two hours before the confrontation took place, but ICE kept giving us the run-around and kept saying that they needed to talk to someone else,” as reported by the Associated Press.
Habba's Victory Lap
Alina Habba wasted no time claiming victory on social media and cable news.
In a statement reported by the New York Post, Habba said, "When you break the law, there's no grandstanding that will help you. Period, the end."
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Habba posted, "He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW."
It was a full-circle moment for Habba — once Trump's personal attorney, now using the power of federal prosecution to back up the very administration whose policies she once defended in court. Since being tapped by Trump in March to serve as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey, Habba has styled herself as a no-nonsense enforcer of immigration laws — and a foil to the state's Democratic establishment.
The Fallout: Backlash, Accusations, and Political Theater
Baraka was released later that evening without bond, greeted by cheers from a crowd of protesters and political allies. He maintained his innocence and promised to return to the facility daily until it shut down.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security hinted that more arrests could follow. Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin claimed body camera footage showed members of Congress physically assaulting federal agents and warned, "We will not tolerate assault against our ICE law enforcement agents. By members of Congress or anyone else," according to CNBC.
The lawmakers involved — Reps. McIver, Menendez, and Watson Coleman — have called the claims absurd and accused DHS of escalating a peaceful oversight visit into a full-blown confrontation. "As Members of Congress, we have a legal right to conduct oversight at any DHS facility without prior notice, as we have already done twice this year," said Menendez, according to CNBC. "This is like nothing I've ever seen before, and I am shocked and disturbed that something like this happened in our community."
A Perfect Collision of Politics and Power
For critics, Baraka's arrest is being framed as selective enforcement — a symbol of the Trump administration's aggressive use of federal power against political opponents.
For Habba and her allies, it's something else entirely — proof that even mayors and congressmembers don't get a free pass when they cross the line.
What's certain is a protest meant to highlight detainee conditions has become a national flashpoint over civil disobedience, federal power, and who really gets to decide where the line is.
References: Alina Habba Hails Arrest of 'Grandstanding' Democratic Mayor at ICE Detention Facility | Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Released After Being Arrested While Protesting ICE Detention Facility He Vowed to Shut Down | Mayor of Newark Ras Baraka Released After Arrest at ICE Jail Protest | Ras Baraka Arrest: Trump Administration Eyes Charging Three More NJ Democrats in ICE Fracas | What to Know About the Newark Mayor’s Arrest at an Immigration Detention Center
