U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12th Congressional District) and two other lawmakers may face charges for allegedly forcing their way into the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, which is operated by the federal Immigration Customs and Enforcement, on May 9, according to published reports.
During a May 10 appearance on CNN, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said there is an ongoing investigation, and that arresting Watson Coleman and U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez and U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver is possible.
Alina Habba, who is the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, wrote on May 12 in a posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, that her office is undertaking a thorough investigation with its federal partners into what occurred at the Delaney Hall detention center.
“As is true of every investigation this office handles, all available evidence will be thoroughly reviewed prior to making a determination on how to proceed,” Habba wrote. “I do not take these matters lightly.”
Also, U.S. Representative Buddy Carter (R-1st Congressional District of Georgia) introduced a resolution on May 12 to remove Watson Coleman from the Committee on Appropriations and to remove Menendez from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, according to published reports on www.foxnews.com. McIver would be removed from the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Small Business.
Watson Coleman represents Princeton, Montgomery Township, Rocky Hill Borough, Hillsborough Township, Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township, Pennington Borough and Cranbury Township.
Watson Coleman, along with Menendez (D-8th Congressional District) and McIver (D-10the Congressional District) were visiting the facility on a Congressional oversight mission on May 9 when a scuffle broke out, according to published reports on www.cnn.com.
The scuffle between the lawmakers and ICE occurred after Newark Mayor Ras Baraka allegedly attempted to visit the detention center. He was held for a few hours and later released.
Federal lawmakers may visit federal facilities in an oversight capacity on an announced or unannounced basis, but not the mayor. Visitors, such as the mayor, must seek permission from the ICE field office that has jurisdiction over the facility, according to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020.
All visitors, including federal lawmakers, must present identification before being admitted to visit the facility. Watson Coleman had identification with her and was displaying her Congressional pin, which is used to identify Members of Congress. She identified herself to the agents at the gate, but was not asked to present identification – which she would have done, if she had been asked to do so, according to a spokesman.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security alleged that Watson Coleman, Menendez and McIver “stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility” in a press release issued May 9.
But Watson Coleman, Menendez and McIver disputed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security statement, and countered that they had arrived at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark to exercise their oversight authority as Members of Congress.
“We did not storm the detention center,” the lawmakers said. “We were exercising our legal oversight function as we have done at the Elizabeth ICE detention center without incident.”
