Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested on Friday for protesting at the newly opened federal immigration detention center, Delaney Hall, in his city. Baraka was taken into custody for trespassing after he reportedly ignored warnings to leave the premises.
He was detained for several hours before being released around 8 p.m.
“The reality is this: I didn’t do anything wrong,” Baraka said to his supporters after being released.
“All of us here, every last one of us, I don’t care what background you come from, what nationality, what language you speak,” Baraka said, “at some point we have to stop these people from causing division between us.”
The detention center, which has been a point of contention in Newark, is set to house up to 1,000 detainees. Baraka, a Democrat and gubernatorial candidate, has long opposed the facility, arguing that it should never have opened due to issues surrounding its building permits.
Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey @AlinaHabba announces the arrest of the Mayor of Newark for trespassing in an ICE facility: “NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) May 9, 2025
“The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security… pic.twitter.com/Xq15XqSOt2
Baraka’s wife, Linda Baraka, also voiced her concern over the arrest, accusing the federal government of specifically targeting her husband.
“They didn’t arrest anyone else. They didn’t ask anyone else to leave. They wanted to make an example out of the mayor,” she said, adding that she had not been allowed to see him.
The U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, took to X to defend the actions of law enforcement, stating that Baraka had trespassed at the private facility, which is operated by the Geo Group, a private prison contractor.
“He has willingly chosen to disregard the law,” Habba said in her statement.
Video footage from the protest showed Baraka returning to the public side of the gate at the detention center when he was arrested, making his stance clear that his opposition to the facility would not be silenced.
