Newark Mayor Ras Baraka sues NJ federal prosecutor Alina Habba – NBC New York

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka sued New Jersey’s prime federal prosecutor on Tuesday over his arrest on a trespassing cost at a federal immigration detention facility, saying the Trump-appointed legal professional had pursued the case out of political spite.

Baraka, who leads New Jersey’s largest metropolis, is a candidate in a crowded major discipline for the Democratic nomination for governor subsequent Tuesday. The lawsuit towards interim U.S. Legal professional for New Jersey Alina Habba coincided with the day early in-person voting started.

The lawsuit seeks damages for “false arrest and malicious prosecution,” and in addition accuses Habba of defamation for feedback she made about his case, which was later dropped.

Citing a put up on X by which Habba mentioned Baraka “dedicated trespass,” the lawsuit says Habba issued a “defamatory assertion” and approved his “false arrest” regardless of “clear proof that Mayor Baraka had not dedicated the petty offense of ‘defiant trespass.’” The go well with additionally names Ricky Patel, the Homeland Safety Investigations agent in cost in Newark.

“This isn’t about revenge,” Baraka mentioned throughout a information convention. “Finally, it’s about them taking accountability for what they did.”

Emails looking for remark had been left Tuesday with Habba’s workplace and the Homeland Safety Division, the place Patel works.

The episode exterior the Delaney Corridor federal immigration detention middle has had dramatic fallout. It started on Might 9 when Baraka tried to affix three Democratic members of Congress — Rob Menendez, LaMonica McIver and Bonnie Watson Coleman — who went to the power for an oversight tour, one thing approved underneath federal legislation. Baraka, an outspoken critic of Trump’s immigration crackdown and the detention middle, was denied entry.

Video from the occasion confirmed him strolling from the power aspect of the fence to the road aspect, the place different individuals had been protesting, after which uniformed officers got here to arrest him. As they did, individuals might be heard within the video saying to guard the mayor. The video reveals a crowd forming and pushing as officers led off a handcuffed Baraka.

He was initially charged with trespass, however Habba dropped that cost final month and charged McIver with two counts of assaulting officers stemming from her position within the skirmish on the facility’s gate.

U.S. Justice of the Peace Choose Andre Espinosa rebuked Habba’s workplace after shifting to dismiss the costs. “The hasty arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, adopted swiftly by the dismissal of those trespassing prices a mere 13 days later, suggests a worrisome misstep by your Workplace,” he wrote.

McIver decried the costs and signaled she plans to struggle them. A preliminary listening to is scheduled later this month.

Delaney Corridor, a 1,000-bed facility, opened earlier this yr as a federal immigration detention facility. Florida-based Geo Group Inc., which owns and operates the property, was awarded a 15-year contract valued at $1 billion in February. The announcement was a part of the president’s plans to sharply improve detention beds nationwide from a price range of about 41,000 beds this yr.

Baraka sued Geo quickly after that deal was introduced.

Then, on Might 23, the Trump Justice Division filed a go well with towards Newark and three different New Jersey cities over their so-called sanctuary insurance policies. There isn’t any authorized definition for sanctuary metropolis insurance policies, however they typically restrict cooperation by native legislation enforcement with federal immigration officers.

New Jersey’s legal professional basic has a statewide directive in place prohibiting native police from collaborating in federal civil immigration issues. The insurance policies are geared toward barring cooperation on civil enforcement issues, not at blocking cooperation on felony issues. They particularly carve out exceptions for when Immigration and Customs Enforcement provides police with a judicial felony warrant. The Justice Division mentioned, although, the cities gained’t notify ICE once they’ve made felony arrests, in response to the go well with.

It is unclear whether or not Baraka’s position in these fights with the Trump administration is having an impact on his marketing campaign for governor. He is certainly one of six candidates looking for the Democratic nomination within the June 10 election to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.

In a video advert within the election’s last weeks, Baraka has embraced a theme his rivals are additionally pushing: affordability. He says he’ll lower taxes. Whereas among the photographs present him standing in entrance of what seems to be Delaney Corridor, he would not point out immigration or the arrest particularly, saying: “I’ll preserve Trump out of your houses and out of your lives.”

Trump has endorsed Jack Ciattarelli, certainly one of a number of Republicans operating within the gubernatorial major. Ciattarelli has mentioned if he is elected, his first govt order can be to finish any sanctuary insurance policies for immigrants within the nation illegally.

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Related Press author Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.