Overview

• Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested on May 9 for trespassing at Delaney Hall, a newly repurposed ICE detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
• Federal prosecutors stated Baraka ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to leave the site before his arrest.
• Baraka had been leading a weeklong protest against the facility, citing alleged permit violations and local opposition to its operation by private prison firm GEO Group.
• The U.S. Attorney for New Jersey defended the arrest, asserting Baraka had ‘chosen to disregard the law’ despite federal warnings.
• The incident highlights broader tensions between sanctuary-city leaders and federal immigration enforcement over private detention contracts.