Tensions are escalating between congressional Democrats and federal authorities after a recent clash at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Newark, New Jersey, has triggered a political firestorm. At the center of the controversy are three House Democrats—Reps. Bonnie Watson-Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver—accused of breaching security protocol during a protest at the Delaney Hall facility, alongside Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested during the altercation.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made headlines Tuesday by declaring the potential arrest or punishment of these members a “red line.” In a testy exchange with Fox News’ Chad Pergram, Jeffries refused to elaborate on consequences, repeating ominously, “They’ll find out.” While short on details, the message was unmistakable: any legal or political action against House Democrats would be met with fierce retaliation.
He didn’t stop there. Jeffries also targeted DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin, calling her a “joke” and accusing the Trump-aligned Department of Homeland Security of intimidation tactics. His tone underscored the broader narrative among Democrats—that this is less about law enforcement and more about political theater designed to criminalize protest and oversight.
REPORTER: "What happens if [DHS] were to go and arrest [Democrats who stormed the Newark ICE facility]?"
REP. JEFFRIES: "They'll find out." pic.twitter.com/XqEOZjAo1f
— Off The Press (@OffThePress1) May 13, 2025
According to DHS, what unfolded was not oversight but trespass. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was taken into custody for allegedly ignoring multiple warnings to vacate the site, and ICE accused the accompanying House Democrats of “storming the gate and breaking into” Delaney Hall.
In a pointed post on X, McLaughlin stressed that “members of Congress cannot break the law in the name of ‘oversight,’” reminding all lawmakers that prior notice is required for facility visits. The implication? These members weren’t conducting oversight—they were staging an unauthorized demonstration.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, now serving as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey, echoed that position, confirming Baraka's arrest and stating that her office is actively reviewing actions by the lawmakers involved. With body cam footage and ICE reports surfacing, calls for legal and congressional consequences are growing louder.
House Republicans, unsurprisingly, aren’t sitting quietly. Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News that “appropriate measures” are coming and alluded to “incontrovertible” video evidence. A censure resolution against Rep. McIver is already in the works, as is a proposal to strip the lawmakers involved of their committee assignments.
This could mark a new front in the already toxic political divide over immigration enforcement. Republicans argue that no one—not even a member of Congress—has the right to bypass legal procedures and disrupt federal facilities. Democrats, on the other hand, insist that what happened at Delaney Hall was a response to alleged abuses and that elected representatives have not only the right but the responsibility to intervene.