A congresswoman is accused of obstructing and interfering with federal officers by force
NEWARK, NJ — U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said today that U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver was charged with three counts of physically obstructing and interfering with federal officers.
The indictment alleges that on May 9, 2025, McIver attempted to arrest someone outside the Delaney Hall Federal Immigration Facility in Newark, New Jersey, by physically obstructing and interfering with federal officers. That day, McIver was at the facility with two other members of Congress to perform a congressional oversight inspection. An immigration protest event was held at the same time as the inspection. The Mayor of Newark came and was granted admission to the facility’s protected section after the Congressional Delegation had entered it. After telling the mayor that he was not permitted to be in the facility’s secured area, a federal officer repeatedly threatened to arrest him if he did not leave. After hearing this exchange, McIver and other Congressional Delegation members confronted the officer and objected to the Mayor’s dismissal. McIver and others surrounded the Mayor when police arrived to arrest him, preventing them from handcuffing him.
Law enforcement authorities attempted to arrest the Mayor again after escorting him out of the protected area. This is when someone shouted, “circle the mayor,” from the crowd. Then, in an attempt to stop HSI from making the arrest, McIver turned to face the Mayor and put her arms around him. As she persisted in trying to stop the arrest, McIver struck one police officer with her forearm and attempted to hold him by violently grasping him at the same time. McIver also struck a second officer with both of her forearms.
According to Count One of the indictment, McIver is charged with forcible hindering and interfering, which carries a potential sentence of eight years in prison if found guilty. She is charged with forcible hindering and interfering in Count Two, which carries a potential sentence of eight years in jail. For Count Three, she might potentially be sentenced to a maximum of one year in jail.
The inquiry was attributed by U.S. Attorney Habba to special agents from Homeland Security Investigations, a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McCarren of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark represents the government.
An accusation is all that an indictment is. Until a defendant is found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law, they are all presumed innocent.
