Breaking News | The people organized: Ras Baraka’s out!

Newark, NJ - The arrest of Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka grounded the current discussion on “citizenship and rights” after federal officers arrested him outside Delaney Hall on Friday, May 9th, only to be freed within hours that same day. Baraka was arrested and detained by ICE for allegedly trespassing at Delaney Hall in Newark.

Delaney Hall came under fire after ICE announced its plans to reopen the facility in a $1 billion contract with its owner, the GEO Group. According to ACLU-NJ, this 1,000-bed detention center will play a key role in President Trump's plan to detain and deport immigrants over 15 years.

Before his arrest, Baraka had reportedly gone to the detention center for an oversight visit with Democratic Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, LaMonica McIver, and Robert Menendez, Jr. According to Watson Coleman, Delaney Hall was opened without permission or sanction from the City of Newark and was in violation of local ordinances.

For this reason, Baraka, Watson Coleman, McIver, and Menendez went to Delaney Hall to practice their “oversight authority.” Watson Coleman claims that after they entered the Delaney Hall premises, ICE agents confronted Baraka, asking him to leave. According to her, the Mayor and the members of Congress waited in the holding area outside Delaney Hall, where they overheard ICE agents saying they would arrest Baraka.

“What I want constituents to know is that the Mayor was illegally arrested,” said Watson Coleman. “He was on public property. We were there. We watched it. ICE made a determination to be disrespectful and to arrest him.”

Scenes of supporters outside the Homeland Security Investigations building in Newark, New Jersey. Photo credits: Josie Gonsalves.

On March 31st, weeks prior to his arrest, Mayor Baraka filed an official complaint against ICE. Though Baraka was accused of trespassing on Delaney, ACLU-NJ’s Executive Director Amol Sinha argued that the former had the right, as Mayor of Newark, to investigate the detention center.

"I haven't seen any charges against Mayor Baraka," said Sinha. "All I've seen is that they've accused him of trespassing in his own city, in front of a federal detention center, that he has every right to examine if it's happening in his own backyard. And so, I think it's atrocious that the federal government would arrest a mayor of a city for exercising his First Amendment rights in demonstrating in front of a city in his own city."

During their visit to Delaney, not only was Baraka arrested, but McIver claims ICE agents roughed up her and LaMonica when they were holding onto the Mayor.

"If they can do that, they knew who we were then, that we were members of Congress, it did not matter to them. If this can happen to a mayor, it can happen to us," said Watson Coleman.

Baraka's arrest sparked public outrage, with over 200 people assembling outside the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) building in Newark, where Baraka was held. Chants like "Free Mayor Baraka," "Power to the People," and "Abolish ICE" echoed throughout the lot.

"I remember the Civil Rights era, and this is so bad," said Jennifer Oshiki, a 68-year-old woman who participated in the rally, "Something has to be done, and every single time, I will speak out. It doesn't matter what. Whether it's the way [Trump] has treated Muslims in this country. The way he's treated women, trans [people], and Black people in this country. I have to do something. I have to stand up. I have to say something."

(Left) Lawrence Hamm speaking to a crowd outside the Homeland Security Investigations building in Newark, New Jersey. (Center) U.S. Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman standing with supporters outside the Homeland Security Investigations building in Newark, New Jersey. (Right) Scenes of supporters outside the Homeland Security Investigations building in Newark, New Jersey. Photo credits: Josie Gonsalves.

Several local leaders joined the crowd to support Baraka and express their outrage over his arrest. These include Lawrence Hamm, a civil rights activist and Chairperson of People’s Organization for Progress; Amy Torres, Council Member of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice; Rev. Dr. Charles F. Boyer, Founder and Director of Salvation and Social Justice; and Senators Joe Cryan and Angela McKnight.

"It's just egregious. It's disgusting…," Boyer said about Baraka's arrest. "And it continues to show the horrific, deplorable, depraved nature of what's coming out of Washington D.C., the assault on humanity that's coming from ICE, and we applaud Mayor Baraka for standing on the front line for people that otherwise would be ignored." 

Later that night, Mayor Baraka walked out of the HSI building, where he addressed the people who supported him. Though he did not go into details about the legalities of the arrest and release, Baraka maintained his commitment to the fight to protect the human rights of the residents of Newark, issuing a call to action for the entire state and the entire nation.

"All of us here. Every last one of us. I don't care what background you come from, what nationality you are, [or] what language you speak. At some point, we have to stop these people from causing division between us," said Baraka.

"Let's do whatever it takes to get justice and let this be the beginning of our efforts not just to free Mayor Baraka, not just of our efforts to free all of our immigrant brothers [and sisters]...African-Americans, we know about being undocumented!” Hamm said to the crowd, "They used to hunt us from state to state! They used to ask us for our papers! We know about that. We know about being disappeared! That is why we have no choice but to be in solidarity!" 

Recent reports from the White House place the elected officials who were present at Baraka’s arrest on alert.

Public Square Amplified will continue to follow this story as the legal case progresses.