Culture

Democratic New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver has been charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer after she and other Democrats engaged in a tense showdown with agents at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility earlier this month. The move against McIver comes amid ramped-up efforts by the Trump administration to enforce its harsh immigration policies and to use the law against its opponents, including government officials.

Charges stem from the May 9 immigration facility incident

On Monday, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba announced that she was charging McIver with violating federal law by “assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement,” referring to a crowded shoving match between officials and ICE agents during the May 9 incident. In a statement concerning the charges, Habba says that McIver had “declined” opportunities to resolve the matter and that “no one is above the law – politician or otherwise. It is the job of this office to uphold justice impartially, regardless of who you are.” Habba is a close advisor to President Donald Trump and previously represented him as private counsel in several of his legal battles.

🚨 Today my office has charged Congresswoman McIver with violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1) for assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/TV00uwRtKq— US Attorney Habba (@USAttyHabba) May 19, 2025

The charges against McIver stem from a May 9 incident in which she and several other Democratic members of Congress toured the recently opened Delaney Hall ICE facility in Newark. In an incident caught on video, members of the delegation and ICE agents can be seen pushing, shoving and crowding one another outside of the facility.

MAJOR BREAKING: New viral video shows Congressman Menendez jumping in to save his colleague Congresswoman LaMonica McIver, who’s being manhandled by ICE, as Mayor Ras Baraka is being taken in handcuffs.America, 2025. pic.twitter.com/2yP3y9sxMB— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) May 9, 2025

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, also a New Jersey gubernatorial candidate, was arrested as he attempted to protest the facility and join the congressional delegation. Habba accused the mayor of trespassing, though her Monday statement notes that those charges were later dropped.

Republicans cheer on charges as Democrats push back

According to ABC News, Trump supporters and members of the administration have celebrated the charges against McIver, while Democrats have defended their colleague and pushed back against the accusations. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem backed Habba’s decision to charge McIver, tweeting, “If any person, regardless of political party, influence or status, assaults a law enforcement officer as we witnessed Congresswoman McIver do, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

After a thorough review of the video footage of Delaney Hall and a full investigation from HSI, the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey has made the determination to charge Congresswoman LaMonica McIver for assaulting, resisting, and impeding law enforcement officers.…— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) May 20, 2025

McIver, meanwhile, released a statement saying, “The charges against me are purely political—they mischaracterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight.” She added, “This administration will never stop me from working for the people in our district and standing up for what is right,” and thanked her supporters for standing by her.

Many of McIver’s colleagues have defended her and objected to the charges against the congresswoman. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker called the charges “clearly unfounded,” arguing, “Representative McIver was exercising her legally protected authority as a member of Congress to conduct oversight of a detention center that receives millions of taxpayer dollars.” He also noted that McIver was allowed to tour the facility after her “unremarkable” actions outside the center, and he called on the Justice Department to “drop these charges immediately.”

These charges are clearly unfounded. Representative McIver was exercising her legally protected authority as a member of Congress to conduct oversight of a detention center that receives millions of taxpayer dollars. Federal officials unnecessarily escalated what should have been…— Sen. Cory Booker (@SenBooker) May 20, 2025

For now, at least, the Trump administration seems determined to push forward in the case against McIver, possibly to make an example of her or perhaps to push its immigration agenda forward. Having taken other moves, such as the arrest of a judge for allegedly interfering with immigration authorities, the charges against McIver appear to be the latest in a growing trend of using the law against opponents of the administration’s immigration policies.

President Donald Trump wants to put an end to birthright citizenship and the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case at the end of June or the beginning of July. The justices appear to be divided on the issue, which could leave the decision over birthright citizenship to state courts.

What is birthright citizenship?

Birthright citizenship is included in the 14th amendment of the Constitution. It grants citizenship to any person born or naturalized in the U.S.

What did Trump say about birthright citizenship?

Trump signed an executive order in January claiming that the 14th Amendment of the Constitution does not grant U.S. citizenship to anyone born in the country, according to CNBC. He alleged the amendment was only meant to grant citizenship to the children of formerly enslaved people.

Birthright citizenship has “nothing to do with Illegal Immigration for people wanting to SCAM our Country, from all parts of the World, which they have done for many years,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday, according to CNBC. “Please explain this to the Supreme Court of the United States.”

“Birthright Citizenship was not meant for people taking vacations to become permanent Citizens of the United States of America, and bringing their families with them, all the time laughing at the ‘SUCKERS’ that we are!” he added.

Trump and his legal team aren’t asking the Supreme Court to rule on whether or not birthright citizenship is constitutional. They are arguing that lower court judges shouldn’t be able to block executive orders. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of his executive order, this means citizenship rules state by state.

Where does the U.S. Supreme Court stand on the case?

Liberal justices are arguing in favor of striking down Trump’s executive order. On the other hand, conservative justices appear to support his claim and are saying that class-action lawsuits could replace a nationwide ruling.

“The ones who can’t afford to go to court, they’re the ones who are going to lose,” Justice Elena Kagan said, according to The Guardian.

“The real concern, I think, is that your argument seems to turn our justice system, in my view at least, into a ‘catch-me-if-you- can’ kind of regime,” Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson added.

This would mean that “everybody has to have a lawyer and file a lawsuit in order for the government to stop violating people’s rights,” Brown-Jackson said. “I don’t understand how that is remotely consistent with the rule of law.”

If the U.S. Supreme Court rules to enforce Trump’s executive order, birthright citizenship may vary depending on the state

It “would require citizenship to vary based on the state in which you’re born, or even turn on or off when someone crosses state lines,” New Jersey solicitor general Jeremy Feigenbaum said, per The Guardian

It would create “serious and unanswerable questions” for federal and state authorities. “Since the 14th amendment, our country has never allowed American citizenship to vary based on the state in which someone resides,” he added.

The city of Omaha is set to have its first Black mayor after Democrat John Ewing Jr. defeated incumbent Republican Jean Stothert in Tuesday’s election. In addition to being a historic moment for the city, Ewing’s election also represents a political upset that may have national repercussions in a closely divided political landscape.

Historic victory demonstrates ‘dreams are possible’

Stothert called Ewing Tuesday night to concede the election as it became clear she was trailing by several thousand votes. The race pitted two historic candidates against one another: Stothert, who had been the first woman elected mayor of Omaha, and Ewing, who will now become the city’s first Black mayor.

In his speech to supporters, WOWT reported the mayor-elect had a particular message for young people: “I want them to believe that no matter where they start, no matter what they look like, no matter what their temporary circumstances are today that their dreams are possible.”

[embedded content]

How this is a major win for Democrats

Although the election was technically non-partisan, the political affiliation of both candidates was clear to voters. Although Stothert had generally governed as a moderate, her public support for President Donald Trump and her conservative stances on transgender issues during the campaign appear to have caused her difficulties.

Meanwhile, Ewing, the longtime Douglas County treasurer who formerly served as deputy police chief, was able to highlight issues such as public safety and affordable housing. In the end, Ewing’s arguments were enough to unseat Stothert, who is serving her third term in office. As pundit Shea Jordan Smith described it, “Democrat John Ewing Jr. just fired the longest-serving GOP mayor in the country” in what “was the 6th-largest Republican-led city in the United States.”

Democrat John Ewing Jr. just fired the longest-serving GOP mayor in the country—flipping Omaha blue and making history as the city’s first Black mayor.Omaha was the 6th-largest Republican-led city in the United States.Was.Midterms just got interesting. pic.twitter.com/UmtwnpqIwV— Shea Jordan Smith (@shea_jordan) May 14, 2025

Omaha, Nebraska’s ‘blue dot,’ holds special national significance

The election of Ewing and a victory for Democrats may have a larger impact beyond Omaha, according to The Washington Post. The city has long been considered a “blue dot,” as it has more registered Democrats than Republicans, while Nebraska as a whole has the opposite political makeup. The area’s congressional representative, Republican Don Bacon, is set for what could be a tough reelection campaign next year, given Democrats’ resurgence on Tuesday. Omaha has also become important in presidential elections because Nebraska is one of only two states, alongside Maine, that do not automatically allocate all of their electoral votes to the same candidate, meaning Democrats have been able to gain an electoral vote from the Omaha area even when Republicans win the statewide presidential race. Stothert’s popularity in Omaha, driven by moderate politics and outreach to independents, could have shifted the Omaha area into Republican hands.

Ewing’s victory, however, may signal that Democrats are gaining strength in the area. With Congress and the United States as a whole sharply divided, the ability of Democrats or Republicans to win over the Omaha area could be critical for determining the balance of power, not only in the city but in Washington, D.C., as well.