Congresswoman Responds To Video Released By Authorities
New Jersey Congresswoman LaMonica McIver pushed back hard Sunday against allegations made by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that she physically assaulted an ICE officer during last week’s tense standoff at the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark.
Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, McIver firmly denied DHS’s claim that she “body slammed” an agent, calling the assertion baseless and politically motivated.
“Absolutely no. I honestly do not know how to body slam anyone,” McIver told host Dana Bash, who played clips of the confrontation and pointed out McIver’s prominent presence in a red blazer. “There’s no video that supports me body slamming anyone,” she added, while insisting that the delegation of lawmakers was engaged in an official oversight visit.
The incident in question unfolded last Friday when McIver and fellow New Jersey Democrats Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez — along with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka — forced their way through a security gate at Delaney Hall as a vehicle was transporting detainees inside. The breach triggered a confrontation with ICE agents that culminated in Baraka’s arrest for trespassing.
DHS later released selective bodycam footage showing McIver elbowing past agents and shouting during the commotion. Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin described the encounter as “chaotic,” reporting that McIver was seen “screaming in the faces” of officers, while DHS labeled the incident a clear-cut case of illegal entry.
But McIver claimed the full context of the footage hasn’t been made public, and she’s demanding that all bodycam material be released to provide a clearer picture.
“It was a very tense situation. It unfortunately did not have to be like that,” she said, turning the blame back on federal agents. “They created that confrontation.”
McIver also framed the arrest of Mayor Baraka — who is currently campaigning to be New Jersey’s next governor — as politically charged, suggesting that ICE agents escalated what should have been a lawful oversight action. “To watch the arrest of the mayor of the largest city in New Jersey, who is my constituent, was very difficult,” she said.
The bodycam footage has already sparked intense debate. Critics say it contradicts the lawmakers’ narrative and shows an orchestrated breach of federal property. Supporters, including McIver, maintain the delegation was carrying out its constitutional duty to conduct oversight of federal facilities operating in their districts.