Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., landed in deep trouble on Monday, May 19, 2025, when federal prosecutors charged her with assault after a chaotic clash at an ICE detention center in Newark.

The first-term congresswoman allegedly forced her way through the gates of the Delaney Hall Detention Center during a protest, sparking a scuffle with federal officers that’s now drawing fire from conservatives.

“Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., was charged by the United States Attorney’s office in New Jersey after she allegedly rushed through the gates past officers and their extended batons,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said, setting up a major legal fight for a sitting lawmaker.

The incident went down on May 9, 2025, when McIver, joined by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and other Democratic lawmakers, arrived at the privately run ICE facility, calling it an “oversight visit.”

Tensions boiled over fast, with bodycam footage showing McIver, in a red blazer, caught in a tussle as she pushed past security.

The footage, released by the Department of Homeland Security, is key evidence, with prosecutors saying it proves assault. The charge—assaulting or interfering with federal officers—puts McIver in a tight spot, with potential jail time looming in a rare case against a congresswoman.

Prosecutors dropped a trespassing charge against Baraka, leaving McIver to face the consequences alone. Her team defended her, claiming she was just doing her job. “We were there to ensure transparency and accountability,” a spokesperson for McIver said, pitching the visit as legitimate congressional work. But the footage and feds tell a different story, and conservatives are sounding the alarm.

Republicans are fired up, with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, planning a hearing to probe what he calls a blatant attack on ICE’s authority.

“This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated,” Jordan said, promising a deep dive. Some Democrats are rallying behind McIver, arguing she was within her rights. “Congress has a right to inspect federal facilities,” a Democratic aide said, though her clash with officers is drawing heat.

In Newark, locals are divided—some back McIver’s immigration stance, but others call it reckless. “This is about more than one incident—it’s about how we handle immigration,” a local activist said, staying anonymous to avoid trouble.

The Delaney Hall center’s been a flashpoint for years, dogged by complaints about detainee conditions.

As the legal battle brews, McIver’s actions stand as a reckless affront to the officers tasked with securing the ICE facility, prompting calls for accountability. “The Justice Department announced an assault charge Monday against Rep. LaMonica McIver, a New Jersey Democrat who was involved in a chaotic protest outside an ICE facility,” a DOJ statement said, warning that such conduct risks undermining law enforcement’s ability to maintain order.