Politics
Dem Rep. Panics, Scrambles To Downplay Alleged Assault On Federal Agent
U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) claimed that she did not assault a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent when she joined a group of activist and lawmakers in storming an ICE detention facility earlier this week. Despite bodycam footage clearly capturing the assault, the Democrat congresswoman claimed she was the victim while appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
McIver joined fellow U.S. Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) and Rob Menendez (D-NJ) in storming the Delaney Hall Detention Center in New Jersey earlier this week. The group, along with Newark Mayor Ray Baraka, claimed they were attempting to “inspect” the facility when they stormed past the facility’s exterior gate and proceeded to clash with federal agents.
Baraka was arrested on trespassing charges and released after remaining in ICE custody for five hours.
Additional charges could be forthcoming for McIver and other lawmakers, however, as bodycam footage appears to show the congresswoman elbowing and shoving a federal agent. DHS Assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that the incident is under review, adding that McIver could indeed face felony charges.
“If it was a typical U.S. citizen, and they tried to storm into a detention facility that’s housing dangerous criminals or any person at all, they would be arrested,” McLaughlin told Fox News.
“Just because you are a member of Congress or just because you’re a public official, does not mean you are above the law. If you assault a law enforcement officer, we will also make sure you answer to justice,” she added. “So, I think that arrests are still on the table for this. This is an ongoing investigation.”
CNN’s Dana Bash asked McIver about the incident during Sunday’s episode of “State of the Union,” noting that DHS is accusing her of “body-slamming” an ICE agent. “Is that what we’re looking at? Is that what happened?”
“Absolutely no. I mean, I honestly do not know how to body slam anyone. There’s no video that supports me body slamming anyone,” McIver said, seemingly denying the existence of the above video.
“We, as Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman said we were simply there to do our job. There for an oversight visit. What you watch what you’re watching in the video, and we don’t have all of the body cam, and we hope that all of the body cam is released. It was a very tense situation. It unfortunately did not have to be like that.”
The Democrat lawmaker further accused ICE of “creating” the confrontation. “They created that chaos and then ultimately went to arrest the mayor of the largest city of New Jersey, who is my mayor and my constituent. And it was very difficult to watch that happen. But absolutely, I did not body slam anyone,” she said.
Rep. Watson Coleman took things a step further, claiming the footage was “manufactured.”
“No, if there’s any such body—kind of footage, it is footage that is manufactured for this purpose. Because I said it before, and I’ll say it again, they are lying.”
The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that the matter is being investigated and could result in criminal charges for McIver and her colleagues.
