Newark Mayor Ras Baraka defiant following arrest at immigration detention center
NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark says he was held for five hours, his mugshot taken, and fingerprinted.
He says, despite that, he will be back here when the time comes.
"They made a decision to arrest me. They made a decision to violate me. They made a decision to humiliate me, to put me in cuffs," Baraka said.
A defiant Mayor Baraka spoke in front of reporters after an event in Newark on Saturday morning.
He maintains that his arrest on Friday afternoon at Delaney Hall was unwarranted.
The mayor of Newark said he had moved to the public side of the detention facility gate when he was told he wasn't allowed inside.
Then, federal agents can be seen pushing him and pulling him back onto the property, and he was then placed in handcuffs.
He was released five hours later.
"I answered the questions. I talked to them. I fully cooperated with them, but I have nothing to hide," Baraka said.
Alina Habba, the interim US Attorney from New Jersey, said Baraka had chosen to disregard the law and trespass. Meanwhile, the assistant secretary of homeland security called it a political stunt and said that they stormed and illegally broke into the facility.
Baraka claims he had every right to be there.
"I didn't climb the fence. I didn't kick the door down. I didn't bust the window like their friends did at the Capitol. And I didn't hurt people. I walked in a place because I was invited in the place and I stood in that place for an hour and a half before somebody made a decision to do what they did," Baraka said.
Baraka and three members of Congress were at Delaney Hall to conduct oversight.
The mayor has claimed the facility, which is owned by a private company called The Geo Group, does not have the proper permits to house undocumented immigrants.
Baraka's opponents in the New Jersey gubernatorial race have shown their support, speaking outside of the facility Saturday morning.
"This is an example of if you're going to come after one of us, you're going to come after all of us. That's why we're standing here today to say, hey, we weren't sure if Mayor Baraka would have been able to be here today, but we were going to be here to say it's unacceptable.
And just because you try and silence one of us, you're not going to silence all of us," Rep Josh Gottheimer said.
Baraka is charged with trespassing, and at this point, no federal charges have been filed.
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