BREAKING: Dem Newark, NJ mayor arrested after refusing to leave ICE detention facility

Newark, New Jersey Mayor Ras Baraka has been arrested after he allegedly refused to leave an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility on Friday. This comes as three Democrat lawmakers from Congress were also protesting at the facility and reportedly rushed past security on the property.

According to the Shore News Network, Baraka “reportedly entered the facility without authorization and refused to leave when ordered” to. The mayor reportedly ignored multiple requests from agents when he was given repeated instruction to leave the facility. 

US Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba posted to X, "The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon. He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW."

Video showed that members of Congress, who had been at the facility as well on Friday, were pushed around in the chaos as the mayor was taken into custody. The mayor had made an unannounced visit earlier in the day to the facility that is within city limits. Authorities did not make it immediately clear what charges the mayor would see. 

Baraka has been an outspoken critic of immigration policies installed by the Trump administration, according to the Shore News Network. The mayor, who is also a candidate in the running for New Jersey governor, has clashed with immigration authorities over sanctuary state policies before.