WASHINGTON (AP) — The Home rejected a decision to censure Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) and take away her from a committee that oversees immigration and nationwide safety as she faces federal costs stemming from a go to to an immigration detention facility.
The Home voted 215-207 to desk the measure, an indication that some had been uncomfortable transferring ahead with censure whereas McIver’s case continues to be pending within the courts.
A trial date has been scheduled for November.
Democratic lawmakers unanimously voted to desk the decision, which was sponsored by Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.). 5 Republicans joined them and two others voted current.
Because the decision was being learn, some Democrats had been incensed. “Liar,” some shouted; “Shame,” yelled one Democratic lawmaker. Many Republicans streamed out of the chamber earlier than the vote concluded. Democrats cheered and hugged on the ultimate tally’s studying.
“The censure attempt against me has failed. Rightfully so. It was a baseless, partisan effort to shut me up,” McIver wrote on social media after the vote. “I was not elected to play political games — I was elected to serve. I won’t back down. Not now. Not ever.”
Republicans sought to punish McIver for a confrontation with federal regulation enforcement throughout a congressional go to to the brand new Delaney Corridor detention facility in Newark.
McIver has pleaded not responsible to federal costs accusing her of assaulting and interfering with immigration officers exterior the ability.
The censure decision recounted how McIver is alleged to have interfered with Homeland Safety Investigations officers’ means to arrest an unauthorized customer. It mentioned she’s alleged to have forcibly grabbed an HSI officer and slammed her forearm into their physique. The decision additionally mentioned physique digicam and different video proof supported the allegations made within the federal indictment.
The measure mentioned such actions didn’t mirror credibly on the Home and that her continued service on the Home Homeland Safety Committee was a major battle of curiosity. The committee’s portfolio contains oversight of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement company, which operates the detention middle that McIver tried to enter.
Congresswoman Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., exits the grounds at Delaney Corridor, an ICE detention facility, Could 9, 2025, in Newark, N.J, (AP Picture/Angelina Katsanis, File)
The trouble had the backing of GOP management. Some Republicans expressed dismay with the result.
“We have a member of Congress who assaulted an ICE officer. I don’t even know what we’re doing anymore,” mentioned Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida.
Donalds mentioned he didn’t know why some Republicans broke ranks to again the movement to desk the censure decision.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka speaks to protesters exterior of Delaney Corridor, a just lately re-opened immigration detention middle, in Newark, N.J., Wednesday, Could 7, 2025. (AP Picture/Seth Wenig)
McIver was joined by two different New Jersey Democrats, Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez, throughout a go to to a privately owned 1,000-bed facility that ICE is utilizing as a detention middle.
Newark’s mayor, Democrat Ras Baraka, was arrested after officers decided he was not licensed to enter. That cost was later dropped. Baraka is suing over what he mentioned was a malicious prosecution.
Components of the confrontation might be seen on an almost two-minute video clip from the go to launched by the Division of Homeland Safety.
🚨WATCH: US Congresswoman, LaMonica McIver (sporting a purple blazer), storms the gate of Delaney Corridor Detention Middle ASSAULTING an ICE agent. pic.twitter.com/4Q1deds1tl
The video reveals McIver on the ability aspect of a chain-link fence simply earlier than Baraka’s arrest on the road aspect of the fence, the place different folks had been protesting. She and uniformed officers are seen going by means of a fence gate, and she or he joins others shouting that they need to circle the mayor.
The video then reveals McIver in a tightly packed group of individuals and officers. At one level, her left elbow after which her proper elbow push into an officer sporting a darkish face masking and an olive inexperienced uniform with the phrase “Police” on it.
McIver was indicted on three counts of assaulting, resisting, impeding and interfering with federal officers. Two of the counts carry a most sentence of as much as eight years in jail. The third is a misdemeanor with a most punishment of 1 12 months in jail.
Congresswoman Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., speaks to the press after Newark mayor Ras Baraka was arrested whereas protesting at Delancey Corridor ICE detention jail, Friday, Could 9, 2025, in Newark, N.J, (AP Picture/Angelina Katsanis)
Higgins mentioned he wouldn’t have moved ahead with the decision if McIver had withdrawn from the Homeland Safety panel pending a decision of the federal costs towards her. He mentioned it was a battle for her to serve on a panel with oversight authority over the companies on the middle of her legal investigation.
“We didn’t expect it to fail. We knew it would be close, but it’s quite disappointing,” Higgins mentioned.
The Home has censured members on 28 events earlier than, however the punishment has more and more been delivered on a partisan foundation lately.
Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., participates in a dialogue about Israel on the Republican Get together of Florida Freedom Summit, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Kissimmee, Fla. (AP Picture/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Democrats retaliated simply hours earlier than the McIver vote with the introduction of a censure decision towards Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), who has been accused by a magnificence pageant titleholder of threatening to launch intimate movies and personal photographs of her after she ended their romantic relationship, based on a report filed with regulation enforcement. Mills has denied the allegations.
Mills can be dealing with an ethics investigation into whether or not he violated marketing campaign finance legal guidelines or held federal contracts whereas in workplace.
Democratic efforts to place the highlight on Mills appeared to function a warning to Republicans that they had been ready to undertake related censure resolutions in response to the concentrating on of McIver.
