Newark Mayor Ras Baraka filed a lawsuit against Alina Habba, the interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, over his arrest at an ICE detention center on May 9.
According to the filing, Baraka seeks “damages and to remedy” Habba, “subjecting him to false arrest and malicious prosecution” for allegedly violating his rights protected by the Fourth Amendment.
Baraka is also suing Habba for defamation.
Authorities arrested Baraka at the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark after he ignored warnings to leave.
“Baraka reportedly entered the federal facility without authorization and refused to leave when ordered,” reported Shore News Network at the time. “Homeland Security Investigations issued repeated directives for the mayor to remove himself from the premises, which he allegedly ignored.”
Fox News reported that the City of Newark filed a lawsuit against GEO Group, alleging “it failed to permit entry to safety inspectors and violated city construction code, including by conducting electrical and plumbing renovations without proper oversight.”
Reps. Rob Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman, and LaMonica McIver were also at the center, demanding entrance in the name of oversight.
Baraka claims the authorities arrested him “without probable cause while peacefully complying with law enforcement orders.”
Baraka accuses Habba of working with DHS and outside of her “prosecutorial function” by ordering “the unlawful arrest, later broadcasting defamatory and prejudicial statements to the public before” anyone booked or charged him.
Habba’s office later dropped the trespassing charge after a judge lashed out at her over the arrest.
The judge also dismissed the charge with prejudice. Habba’s office cannot refile the same claim.
Habba has also charged Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) for violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1) for assaulting, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement.
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