Newark mayor Baraka arrested at ICE protest, released same day

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a Democratic candidate for New Jersey governor, was arrested and released on Friday, May 9, 2025, during a protest outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark.

The facility, recently reopened by the Trump administration and operated by Geo Group, has drawn criticism for allegedly lacking proper permits and its role in anticipated mass deportations.

Baraka, joined by Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver for an oversight visit, was detained around 1 PM after allegedly refusing to leave the premises, an action interim US Attorney Alina Habba called trespassing.

Video footage captured Baraka being led away in handcuffs.

Released by 8 PM, he described the arrest as “humiliating” but noted respectful treatment by Homeland Security staff.

Governor Phil Murphy and Senator Cory Booker slammed the arrest as unjust, while Baraka reiterated claims that Delaney Hall operates illegally, a charge Homeland Security denies.

Witnesses reported federal agents using aggressive tactics, with Watson Coleman alleging she was manhandled despite identifying as a Congress member.

The incident has intensified debates over immigration policy and local authority as Baraka campaigns in the June 10 gubernatorial primary.