Allies Rally for McIver Outside the Federal Courthouse in Newark
By Max Pizarro
The allies of U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-10) assembled outside the federal building Congresswoman McIver here, demanding the feds drop all charges against the congresswoman and dismiss the case against her.
District Judge Jamel Semper was upstairs at the same time, hearing oral arguments from McIver’s legal team.
Judge Semper this afternoon said he would issue a written opinion in response to the Congresswoman’s argument to dismiss the case.
McIver pleaded not guilty in June to the three criminal charges stemming from an incident Delaney Hall in May, when McIver tried to protect Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Armed and masked ICE agents had thrown the mayor in handcuffs as he and a congressional team, including McIver, U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, and U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez sought information about detainees inside the immigration detention facility.
“The legal process will expose this prosecution for what it truly is — political retaliation against a dedicated public servant who refuses to shy away from her oversight responsibilities,” said Paul Fishman, former U.S. Attorney of New Jersey, who represents the congresswoman.
In the words of Amol Sinha, executive director of the NJ-ACLU: “Vengeance, not governance.”
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (D-MN), U.S. Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Ca), U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D -Congresswoman Omar TX), and U.S. Rep. Yvette Clark (D-NY) stood in front of the front steps of the federal building in support of their colleague.
“Our sister,” they said.
Crockett pointedly noted that a Trump-pardoned Jan. 6 rioter faces felony charges for making a terroristic threat against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Christopher Moynihan today pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.
FROM CNN: According to New York State Police, an anonymous source told the FBI that the man, Christopher Moynihan (pictured on Jan. 6th, 2021, left), had said on Friday that “in a few days, he would kill Congressman Jeffries in New York City for ‘the future,’” court records say.
As for McIver, surrounded by masked and armed agents as she tried to shield Baraka, “She shouldn’t even be on trial,” civil rights leader Larry Hamm, founder of the People’s Organization for Progress, declared. “Donald Trump should be on trial.”
“LaMonica McIver is my congresswoman,” Hamm told the crowd. “I’ve lived in the 10th Congressional District all my life. LaMonica was arrested on May 9th. Why was she arrested? For doing her job. What was her job? Her job was to make sure there were no children in cages in Delaney Hall. Her job was to make sure our immigrant brothers and sisters were being treated like human beings in Delaney Hall. …Immigrant rights are human rights. They think they have LaMonica McIver on trial? We’re all on trial.”
Who should really be on trial, he asked.
“ICE should be on trial,” said Hamm. “The people who should be on trial are the people who are trying to build a fascist movement in this country. What we experiencing today is the kind of fascism that reminds me of McCarthyism.”
It equally bothers state Senator Joe Cryan (D-20), who grew up in Newark in the Vailsburg section, and
Senator Cryan is a former law enforcement officer, and the son of a law enforcement officer.
“I had the honor of being Union County sheriff,” said Cryan. “When I watch people in masks, so afraid to do their job, I think to myself, ‘How could this be in the United States of America?'”
Someone in the crowd yelled, “ICE out of New Jersey!”
Cryan said, “ICE out of New Jersey is absolutely right. When I watch that I’m absolutely horrified. This is your time. We’ve got our inspiration. Her name is LaMonica McIver.” He added another observation.
“When I played basketball here, and if you watch [ICE reacting to McIver trying to defend herself and the mayor], watch it, and you say, ‘How could this even be a foul? When I was playing three-on-three in Vailsburg if I called foul for that, I would get laughed at and told to man up.
“You and me together,” Cryan told the crowd. “It’s time we man up.”
Arrested on May 9th outside Delaney Hall, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka addressed the crowd in support Hill and Gill. of McIver, his longtime friend and ally and former student.
“We can’t be the first generation to decide not to sacrifice for those who come after us,” said the mayor. “We have to lay it all on the line. All on the line. I don’t know about you but we’re willing to do that. LaMonica grew up in a community that taught her how to fight. She’s been fighting all her life. Say something to her, you put your hands on her, you’re going to have a fight.
“And now she’s upstairs in a fight – and we want them to know there are lot of people downstairs in this fight for her. We’re not going to sit idly by.”,
