OAN Staff James Meyers
1:40 PM – Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Newark Democrat Mayor Ras Baraka filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba on Tuesday morning, after he was arrested last month while protesting outside an ICE detention facility.
The Democrat mayor (D-N.J.) has accused Habba of “malicious prosecution,” while arguing that he had his Fourth Amendment rights violated following his May 9th arrest.
“Defendant Habba issued the defamatory statement and authorized the false arrest of Mayor Baraka despite clear evidence that Mayor Baraka had not committed the petty offense of ‘defiant trespass,’” the lawsuit stated.
“In authorizing and/or directing the arrest of Mayor Baraka without proper legal grounds, Defendant Habba was acting for political reasons,” the suit added.
In response, Habba appeared unfazed by the lawsuit, choosing instead to ridicule the New Jersey mayor, rather than express any emotional reaction.
“My advice to the mayor — feel free to join me in prioritizing violent crime and public safety. Far better use of time for the great citizens of New Jersey,” she wrote on X.
Baraka was taken into custody at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility and charged with trespassing on May 9th — as he was protesting the ICE facility that he told his constituents he would shut down.
However, his trespassing charge was eventually dismissed just 10 days later. The charge had also prompted U.S. Magistrate Judge André Espinosa to criticize the whole situation.
“The apparent rush in this case culminating today in the embarrassing retraction of charges suggests a failure to adequately investigate, to carefully gather facts, and to carefully consider the implications of your actions before wielding your immense power,” Espinosa said, slamming Habba and the DOJ.
Additionally, Baraka’s lawsuit also named Ricky Patel, a supervising agent with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who spearheaded the arrest of the Newark mayor.
Baraka “committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention in Newark,” according to Habba.
However, on the flip side, Baraka claimed that he did abide by the order to leave before agents came outside the gate and took him into custody.
Additionally, the announcement of the lawsuit came on the same day that early in-person voting began in New Jersey — as Baraka is battling against five other candidates running for the Democrat nominee position.
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