A federal judge on Wednesday
scolded federal prosecutors and
announced he will dismiss trespassing charges against Newark Mayor #Ras #Baraka related to a standoff at a migrant detention center. 
Interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba announced earlier this week she would drop charges against Baraka
(but at the same time announced new charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver stemming from a scuffle during Baraka’s arrest).
Federal magistrate judge #Andre #Espinosa reprimanded the federal prosecutors for more than five minutes, calling the retraction of the charges “embarrassing.”
“The hasty arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, followed swiftly by the dismissal of these trespassing charges a mere 13 days later, suggests a worrying misstep by your office,” Espinosa said.
️ “An arrest, particularly of a public figure, is not a preliminary investigative tool.
It is a severe action, carrying significant reputational and personal consequences, and it should only be undertaken after a thorough, dispassionate evaluation of credible evidence.”
The judge directed his comments to Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Demanovich
— the judge said Demanovich had acted appropriately throughout the case, but as the representative of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he was responsible for hearing the message.
Judge Espinosa said he found out about the dismissal through reports in the media, rather than from prosecutors themselves.
The judge said that while there will be no trial, he believed Baraka deserved the chance to defend himself against the accusations.
“If this matter had proceeded to trial, we feel confident that Mayor Baraka would be vindicated,” said Rahul Agarwal, one of Baraka’s attorneys.
“We have believed from the outset that these charges did not and would not survive scrutiny.”
Baraka had visited Delaney Hall,
a 1,100-bed facility in the East Ward of Newark that began housing immigrant detainees at the beginning of this month,
with three members of Congress for an oversight visit.
Baraka has argued that Delaney Hall is operating illegally;
the city of Newark is suing GEO Group, the private-prison company that operates Delaney Hall, alleging the company hasn’t obtained the necessary certificates to open the building. That lawsuit is ongoing.
https://newjerseyglobe.com/judiciary/judge-dismisses-baraka-charges-reprimands-prosecutors/

Lawyers for #Newark, #NewJersey Mayor #RasBaraka said on Thurs they would file motions to dismiss a charge that he had trespassed at a privately run federal #immigration detention center there last week.

#Baraka, who is running for the Democratic nomination for governor in a crowded field, faces a misdemeanor charge of trespassing at #DelaneyHall, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of 30 days in #jail.

#law #Trump
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/newark-mayors-lawyers-seek-dismissal-trespass-charge-say-arrest-was-targeted-2025-05-15/

Speaking out after his arrest on Tuesday, Newark mayor
Ras #Baraka said his city would continue its fight in court against the company that runs an immigration detention facility in New Jersey.
“I know there are some protests that other people are planning, and if I feel obligated to be there, I will,”
Baraka told the Rev Al Sharpton on MSNBC Saturday afternoon.
“This doesn’t stop the city’s contention with the Geo Group, and we’re going to continue in court with them.”

Baraka was arrested Tuesday morning after joining three members of Congress at a protest and press conference outside a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) detention facility located in Newark known as Delaney Hall.

He was arrested by homeland security agents and taken into custody at a separate facility in Newark.
The mayor was released about five hours later and charged with trespassing.

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told CNN Saturday morning that
“there will be more arrests coming” after the protest at the facility,
saying that the arrests of the three Democratic members of Congress who were there
– Bonnie Watson #Coleman, Rob #Menendez and LaMonica #McIver
– are “on the table”.

Newark sued Geo Group after the company won a 15-year $1bn contract with Ice to run Delaney Hall -- saying that the company was renovating the facility without proper permits and that city inspectors had been barred from entering the center.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/10/new-jersey-ras-baraka-ice?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

WTAF?????

#Newark Mayor #RasBaraka #arrested for alleged trespass at #NewJersey #ICE detention facility

Mayor #Baraka was arrested for allegedly trespassing inside a US #Immigration & Customs Enforcement #detention center in his city.

"He has been taken into custody," #AlinaHabba, a fmr defense attorney for #Trump.

Baraka is a #Democrat running for #governor of #NJ.

At least 3 US #House #Democrats from NJ were also at the detention center.

#law #AmericanAutocracy
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/09/newark-mayor-arrested-baraka-ice.html

Ja, lieber @Friedensbote - das islamische Wort für #Segen heißt #Baraka (türkisch #Bereket) & ist direkt mit dem jüdischen #Bracha verwandt. Auch der segnende #Jesus, hebräisch #Jehoschua wird als al-Masih #Isa im #Koran geehrt, seiner Mutter #Maryam ist sogar eine eigene #Sure gewidmet.

https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraka_(Segenskraft)