“What the F is wrong with you?” said U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, in a video reacting to the Trump administration criminally charging Rep. LaMonica McIver over an encounter she and other members of Congress had with ICE agents earlier this month.
McIver, a freshman representing New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District, has been charged with assaulting, impeding, or interfering with law enforcement. The charges were announced late Monday by Interim New Jersey U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, who was appointed by President Donald Trump and served as his legal spokesperson before briefly serving as his White House counselor.
On May 9, Rep. McIver joined Democratic Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Robert Menendez Jr. to survey a federal immigration detention center in Newark alongside the city’s mayor, Ras Baraka, who was infamously arrested for allegedly trespassing. Video footage of the skirmish showed a chaotic scene as all three members of Congress attempted to prevent ICE agents from arresting Baraka, whose misdemeanor case was dismissed.
Black members of Congress swiftly condemned Habba’s decision to charge Congresswoman McIver, accusing the Trump administration of playing politics and abusing their executive power. They vowed to seek accountability.
“We’re going to make sure that every single person responsible for this corrupt abuse of power and egregious overreach is held accountable,” said Jeffries.
The House Democratic leader refuted the claim that McIver committed any crime and insisted that she and her colleagues were “conducting a constitutionally protected oversight visit.” Jeffries demanded the charges against the New Jersey congresswoman be dropped “immediately.”
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, also quickly condemned the charges against McIver late Monday night.
“Let me be very clear: this is what the weaponization of government looks like,” said Crockett, a rising star in the Democratic Party. “Rep. LaMonica McIver was doing her job—conducting oversight, standing up for her constituents, and demanding answers from an out-of control-administration.”
Crockett, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, said that instead of being allowed to do her job, McIver was met with “retaliation” and “intimidation,” adding, “Now, they’re hitting her with charges.”
“Let’s be honest: this isn’t about justice. It’s a political stunt—plain and simple. Charging Rep. McIver is a desperate attempt to scare her into silence,” said the congresswoman and attorney. “If they can come for an elected Member of Congress while she’s doing her job, they can come for anybody. Doesn’t matter if you’re a citizen, a green card holder, or someone just trying to survive in this country—if you challenge their power, you become a target.”
The Texas lawmaker continued: “This is the same tired authoritarian playbook we’ve seen again and again under this administration.”
Rep. Yvette Clarke, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, also condemned the Trump administration as being “cowardly” and hitting McIver with “bogus charges.”
“Ultimately, these efforts will fail, because House Democrats and the Congressional Black Caucus will never bend the knee to the Trump administration,” said Clarke.
“The CBC and House Democrats will continue working each day to hold President Trump and his administration accountable, including conducting constitutionally mandated oversight and standing up against these attempts at congressional intimidation, bullying, and extreme abuses of power.”
