Democratic Rep McIver to appear in court on charges in Newark ICE facility incident

Democratic New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver is to appear in federal court on Wednesday on charges regarding an incident at a Newark U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility last month.

McIver allegedly assaulted a law enforcement officer during a protest at an ICE facility in Newark by slamming him with her forearm, “forcibly” grabbing him, and using her forearms to strike another agent, Politico reported. Two other Democratic lawmakers were at the protest but were not charged. 

The three federal charges brought by a federal grand jury this month also accuse the Democrat of forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers. The charges carry maximum sentences of eight years in prison for two of them and a maximum of one year in prison for the third.

McIver spokesperson Hanna Rumsey said that the congresswoman will plead not guilty.

McIver’s allies have claimed that the charges are political and have said she was roughed up by federal agents.

Last month, McIver appeared at a hearing virtually after charges were filed but before a grand jury returned an indictment. She was allowed to join the hearing remotely from Washington, D.C., because Congress was in session. The grand jury indictment has put her case in front of U.S. District Court Judge Jamel Semper, a President Biden appointee.

A complaint was filed this week against the interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, who is prosecuting the case against McIver, by liberal watchdog group the Campaign for Accountability.

The complaint alleges that she has acted improperly since becoming a prosecutor -- citing her actions in McIver's case -- along with her comments about turning “New Jersey red” and announcing investigations into the state's Democratic governor and attorney general over immigration.

A spokesperson for Habba didn't respond to Politico's request for comment.