NJ Mayor Sues State's Top Prosecutor Over His Arrest Outside ICE Facility

What Happened?

The mayor of Newark filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against New Jersey’s top prosecutor after criminal charges were dropped against him for allegedly trespassing an ICE facility.

Mayor Ras Baraka is seeking compensatory and punitive damages against interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and the Department of Homeland Security special agent who put him in federal custody.

Attorneys for Baraka claim that Habba conducted a false and 'malicious prosecution' over his arrest on May 9 at Delaney Hall.

Delaney Hall is reportedly owned by a private prison company and had opened as a detention center under the Trump administration.

Baraka was joined alongside three congressional members on May 9 to inspect various conditions at the privately owned facility.

The Newark mayor was one of the first U.S. officials to issue a statement surrounding a raid that had occurred following President Donald Trump's announced immigration agenda.

He is also one of the six Democratic candidates running for governor of New Jersey.

Attorneys say that Habba 'directed and ratified the unlawful arrest' of Baraka, adding that she acted as a 'political operative' with intent to defame his public image.

The charge was later dropped by the U.S. attorney's office for what Habba said was 'for the sake of moving forward.'

Habba had separately charged New Jersey Democrat Rep. LaMonica McIve who had visited the facility to conduct oversight on that day.

Baraka’s attorney, Nancy Erika Smith, said they expect to sue the Trump administration but are required to wait six months, according to reports.

Why it Matters

The lawsuit comes as tension rises over the current immigration climate in the U.S.

Last week, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to temporarily strip the legal protections for more than 500,000 migrants from four countries.

The Justices lifted a lower-court order that kept humanitarian parole protections in place for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

In addition, the higher court allowed the Trump administration to strip the temporary protected status of 350,000 Venezuelans in a separate case.

Those decisions will help influence the previous actions by Homeland Security to disrupt the lives of over half a million people while their legal claims are pending.

In states like New Jersey, President Trump has reportedly endorsed Republican candidate for governor Jack Ciattarelli.

If elected, Ciattarelli has said his first executive order would be to end any sanctuary policies for immigrants in the country illegally.

How it Affects You

Although lawsuits are continuing to pile in, the Trump administration is on a mission to increase the deportation of illegal immigrants in its latest crackdown efforts.

The Supreme Court's decisions raise concerns for local leaders over recently chaotic immigration arrests.

Experts expressed that thousands of families have been left most vulnerable during these unpredicted times.

Those like Mayor Baraka continue to be critical of the Trump administration's actions to ensure they are not conducted through egregious intentions.