New Jersey Democrat accused of assaulting officers dismisses 'absurd' charges

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Democratic lawmaker rejects 'absurd' assault charges from Trump DOJ in new interview

Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., dismissed the assault charges against her from the Trump Justice Department stemming from a confrontation outside an ICE detention facility in New Jersey earlier this month.

Democratic lawmaker, Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey, called the federal assault charges against her "absurd" during a CNN interview on Tuesday.

The Department of Justice accused McIver of assaulting two federal agents and interfering with law enforcement during a confrontation at an ICE detention facility in New Jersey earlier this month.

McIver dismissed the charges as "absurd" and "political" while on CNN.

"I think the charges are absurd. It's ridiculous. I was there to do my job, along with my other colleagues," she told CNN host Kate Bolduan. "The entire situation was escalated by ICE."

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New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver was charged on Monday for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers outside of an ICE detention facility earlier this month. (Getty Images/Department of Homeland Security)

"It was very unnecessary," she continued. "If I'm going to be charged with a crime for doing my job, it really speaks to where we're headed in this country."

CNN asked McIver about reports that she declined to negotiate a deal with Alina Habba, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, over the incident.

McIver said she rejected this offer because the Justice Department and Habba wanted her to admit to something she said she "did not do."

DOJ CITES BODYCAM FOOTAGE IN CHARGING DOCUMENT FOR HOUSE DEM MCIVER

Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba is filing charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver over the Delaney Hall incident earlier in May. (Pool File via AP/Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

McIver, who sits on the Homeland & Security Committee, said she would not have done anything differently if given the choice, and that it was her "obligation" to oversee the ICE facility and see if those detained there were given "due process."

She called the charges against her "political intimidation" in a "very unfortunate" situation.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and three New Jersey lawmakers, including McIver, were outside the ICE facility earlier this month with a group of protesters when the gates opened to allow an ICE bus in. All four officials then allegedly rushed through the gates past security, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

Baraka initially faced a federal trespassing charge which has since been dropped, Habba announced Tuesday.

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Police officers patrol outside of Delaney Hall, an immigrant detention center in Newark, NJ, U.S., May 13, 2025. (Stephanie Keith for Fox News Digital)

McIver is accused of "assaulting, resisting and impeding" two immigration officials — a Homeland Security investigations agent and an ICE agent — during the visit to the ICE facility, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court Monday.

The document cites bodycam footage from law enforcement officers who recorded events as McIver and the other lawmakers allegedly stormed the ICE facility.

The DOJ accuses McIver of having "slammed her forearm into the body of a uniformed Homeland Security Investigations agent and reached out and tried to restrain the agent by forcibly grabbing him."

Democrat Rep. LaMonica McIver (Department of Homeland Security)

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The Justice Department did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News' Anders Hagstrom and Cameron Arcand contributed to this report.