Baraka’s defense team has said it will file a motion to dismiss the trespass accusation pursued by the Trump administration.
The U.S. lawyer said he would file an allegation denied trespass charges directed at Newark Mayor Las Baraka after being arrested during a protest at a New Jersey immigration detention center.
During a hearing in New Jersey federal court on Thursday, Baraka’s defense team said they believe they are being prosecuted selectively by President Donald Trump’s administration.
“We believe that the mayor himself was targeted here,” said Rahul Agarwal, one of Baraka’s lawyers.
“The mayor was invited to the facility on Friday,” Agarwal added, noting that Baraka was “outside the facility when he was ultimately handcuffed and detained.”
Baraka herself attended the hearing and then spoke with outside supporters. On social media, he framed the criminal charges as fake.
“Today, the U.S. Attorney General’s Office has chosen to move forward in a trial over a trespassing charge at Delaney Hall. The charges are unfair, but we will fight this,” Baraka wrote. “This is bigger than me. It’s about all of us.”
The incident is the latest to highlight the growing tension between the Trump administration and local governments opposed to his immigration crackdown.
Civil Liberties Groups claim that the government is using its power to intimidate or enforce officials who are not in line with immigration priorities.
The Trump administration’s complaints are concentrated on what happened on May 9 when lawmakers and protesters appeared at Delaney Hall, a new detention facility in Newark run by private company Geo Group.
Baraka has long been opposed to the 1,000-bed facility and said she had no proper permission, and since opening on May 1, he has appeared outside the gate many times.
On the day of her arrest, Baraka joined three members of the US Congress: Ramonica McQuiver, Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez.
Agarwal said Baraka was the only person to be arrested in the incident. Baraka claims he was invited to the facility and says he shared a video on social media on Wednesday, showing security guards opening gates on the premises to allow him.
“Mayor Baraka was in Delaney Hall and took a tour of Congressional delegations and detention facilities as part of the approved oversight responsibility,” the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said in a statement on Baraka’s arrest last week.
“Mayor Baraka and lawmakers in New Jersey and the country — are being targeted by the Trump administration for refusing to participate in the ongoing violation of the legitimate process.”
However, the government’s criminal charges allege that Baraka entered the country and remained inside a private facility despite multiple warnings. He has faced in prison for up to 30 days.
“I believe there is clear evidence that the mayor is within the property,” U.S. Attorney Aide Stephen Demanovich told Magistrate Judge Andre Espinoza.
Video of the incident tells Baraka that an official behind the gates of Delaney Hall must return outside because “you are not a member of Congress.”
Judge Espinosa told Baraka on Thursday that it should be handled by the U.S. Former s services after the lawsuit ends.
The Associated Press said the request caused a moment of confusion in court. Baraka pointed out that although it had already been processed after her arrest, she eventually gave her a fingerprint and agreed to take another mug shot.
“They try their best to humiliate and degrade me as much as they can,” Baraka said. “I feel that what we did is totally right. We didn’t violate the law. We were standing up for the constitution of this country, the constitution of New Jersey.”
Baraka is considered a leading candidate for the 2025 New Jersey Governor race.
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