Newark mayor sues interim US attorney for NJ after arrest at Delaney Hall
The lawsuit names interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Ricky Patel, head of Newark Homeland Security.
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The mayor of Newark is suing New Jersey interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba.
The suit filed in federal court is related to his arrest on charges of trespassing outside of Delaney Hall, a federal immigration detention center in Newark.
The lawsuit names Habba and Ricky Patel, head of Newark Homeland Security.
The mayor is suing them for false arrest, malicious prosecution and defamation, even though the charges were eventually dismissed.
“I want somebody to apologize, write a letter, say this was wrong," said Mayor Ras Baraka. “To arrest me, to handcuff me, to drag me away to take my fingerprints for a Class C misdemeanor is egregious and malicious.”
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The arrest was outside Delaney Hall. While three Congress members were allowed inside the building, the suit says the mayor was allowed to wait inside the property main gate by a guard working for the owner of the facility, GEO Group.
The suit says Patel told Baraka to leave. When Baraka was outside the gate, the suit says Patel told DHS officers to “take him down.”
Baraka’s attorney called it overkill and politically motivated, noting he should have at most been handed a ticket.
Attorney Nancy Erika Smith says Baraka was targeted because Newark is a sanctuary city and has stood up for immigrants trying to avoid ICE deportations.
“Political prosecutions are for fascist countries, not the United States of America,” said Smith.
Smith says Habba also defamed Baraka on social media and in TV interviews.
At a later date, the Trump administration will be added to the lawsuit, according to Smith.
Habba issued a statement about the lawsuit on social media.
“My advice to the mayor - feel free to join me in prioritizing violent crime and public safety. Far better use of time for the great citizens of New Jersey,” Habba wrote.
