Newark mayor denies trespassing at US immigration centre following arrest | Politics News

Ras Baraka Denies Charge Against Him A Day After He Spent Several Hours in Police Custody.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has denied trespasing at a new United States Federal Immigration Detention Center following his arrest and release.

Barakawho has been protesting the center’s opening this week, denied his trespasing charge on Saturday, a day after he spent several hours in police customy.

The Mayor Has Gone Head-to-Head with the Trump Administration Over Undocumented immigrationPushing back again the opening of the Delaney Hall Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 1,000-Bed Detention Facility, Arguing that it should be allowed to open because of building permit issue.

Officials accused baraka of trespasing and ignoring warnings to leave the Delaney Hall Facility in Newark, New Jersey.

“I’m shocked by all the lies that were told here,” he said, adding he had been invited there for a news conference.

“No one Else [was] Arrested, I was invited into, then they arrested me on the sidewalk. ”

Alina Habba, Interim us Attorney for New Jersey, said on the social media platform x that baraka trespassed at the detention facility, which is run by private prison operator geo group.

Habba said Baraka had “chosen to disregard the law”.

Tricia McLaughlin, an Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs with the US Department of Homeland Security, said in an interview with cnn on Saturday that the investigation was ongoing and that more video from the scene would soon be released.

She also accused baraka or playing “Political games”.

Baraka was taken into customy by the Ice agent in a scuffle at the facility.

He had joined several lawmakers at the detention center for a demonstration on Friday.

Video of the incident showed that baraka was arrested after returning to the public side of the gate to the facility.

Local elected officials swiftly condemned the federal agents’ actions, with the state’s government, Phil Murphy, writing on x that he was “outraged by the unjust arrest”.