Baraka Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Detention Heart
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka will not be backing down. Simply days earlier than the high-stakes New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial main, Baraka has filed a federal lawsuit concentrating on interim U.S. Legal professional Alina Habba over his controversial arrest at an immigration detention heart—a second that’s now blowing up politically and legally.
Replace: Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Launched From ICE Custody After Protest Arrest at NJ Facility
In line with the lawsuit filed on Tuesday, Baraka is in search of damages for “false arrest and malicious prosecution,” including that Habba defamed him when she publicly said he had “dedicated trespass.” That allegation, Baraka argues, was false and politically motivated. The fees? Already dropped.
The go well with hits even more durable by naming Ricky Patel, the Newark Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) lead agent, as one other defendant in what Baraka sees as a calculated effort to silence and smear him.
This all popped off Could ninth outdoors Delaney Corridor in Newark—an immigration detention heart that’s lengthy been a flashpoint. Baraka, who’s been a loud critic of ICE and Trump-era immigration enforcement, rolled up attempting to affix Democratic lawmakers Rob Menendez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and LaMonica McIver for an oversight tour. However when he was denied entry, issues escalated.
Video Footage Sparks Extra Questions Than Solutions
Video of the encounter rapidly went viral, displaying Baraka calmly shifting from the ability’s entrance towards protesters gathered close by. Simply as he reached the sidewalk, uniformed officers swooped in and arrested him. The gang? Livid. Voices within the background demanded to know why their mayor was being handled like a prison.
One onlooker may be heard yelling, “Y’all locking up the one one out right here combating for the folks!”
And let’s preserve it a buck—Baraka’s arrest ain’t sitting proper with a variety of people. Critics say the entire thing reeks of political suppression, particularly since early voting had simply kicked off and Baraka is a transparent contender within the upcoming main. Some say it’s no coincidence.
Baraka’s authorized workforce additionally factors to Habba’s public put up on X (previously Twitter), the place she accused him of trespassing. “That was defamatory,” the lawsuit reads. “There was no foundation for arrest. The mayor had moved to a public house, and video proves that.”
