A Democrat congresswoman has been charged with assaulting federal agents outside a migrant detention centre.

The justice department has accused LaMonica McIver of assaulting, impeding or interfering with law enforcement following a demonstration outside the facility in Newark, New Jersey.

Ms McIver and two other Democratic lawmakers were protesting outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Delaney Hall centre on May 9 when a confrontation broke out as a member of the group was asked to leave.

Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark, was arrested and later released after spending several hours in custody, while Ms McIver, a representative for New Jersey’s 10th congressional district, became embroiled in a heated discussion with uniformed officials.

“I have persistently made efforts to address these issues without bringing criminal charges and have given Representative McIver every opportunity to come to a resolution, but she has unfortunately declined,” US attorney Alina Habba wrote in a letter, posted on X.

“No one is above the law – politicians or otherwise.”