Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested Friday at a federal immigration detention center where he has been protesting its opening this week, according to federal officials. He was released hours later and told supporters: “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

News 12 crews witnessed the arrest Friday afternoon while attending a news conference organized by Baraka and a congressional delegation attempting to conduct an oversight inspection.

Baraka has aggressively pushed back against the construction and opening of the 1,000-bed detention center, arguing that it should not be allowed to open because of building permit issues.

Witnesses said the arrest came after Baraka attempted to join a scheduled tour of the facility with three members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation, Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

When federal officials blocked his entry, a heated argument broke out. It continued even after Baraka returned to the public side of the gates.

Baraka was eventually put in handcuffs and taken to the Homeland Security Investigations headquarters on Frelinghuysen Avenue.

Members of Congress spoke to News 12 following the arrest before they headed over to the headquarters to see him.

“This is not our first visit to an ICE detention facility. But this most assuredly is the most discomforting, concerning visit we've had…And what we experienced was the weaponization of the abuse of power that this administration has given ICE to do,” said Coleman.

RELATED: ICE: Newark’s Delaney Hall to reopen as immigration detention center

A crowd gathered to protest outside the building where Baraka was being held, with many chanting, “Let the mayor go!”

Linda Baraka, the mayor’s wife, accused the federal government of targeting her husband.

“They didn’t arrest anyone else. They didn’t ask anyone else to leave. They wanted to make an example out of the mayor,” she said, adding that she had not been allowed to see him.

Alina Habba, interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, said on the social platform X that Baraka committed trespass and ignored warnings from Homeland Security personnel to leave Delaney Hall, which is run by private prison operator GEO Group.

Habba said Baraka had “chosen to disregard the law” and added that he was taken into custody

In addition to being the mayor of Newark, Baraka is a New Jersey gubernatorial candidate.