Newark Mayor Arrested As Stephen Miller Threatens Habeas Corpus Suspension

Washington, D.C. – Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested Friday after joining members of Congress and community leaders in protesting the opening of Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center in New Jersey operated by private prison giant GEO Group. Baraka had joined members of Congress and local advocates to raise alarm about the facility’s role in a mass disappearance operation destabilizing communities across the state. Witnesses say he was forcibly detained after attempting to join a facility visit with New Jersey lawmakers.

Statement from Kerri Talbot, Co-Executive Director of the Immigration Hub:

“First they arrested a sitting judge. Now they’ve arrested a sitting mayor—all while Stephen Miller openly floats suspending habeas corpus. That means giving themselves the power to detain people indefinitely, with no accountability, no consequence, and no basic legal protections.

Mayor Baraka was standing with his community, demanding answers about a billion-dollar detention deal that’s already tearing families apart. For that, he was treated like a threat.

The American people need to understand what’s unfolding: this isn’t isolated—it’s the playbook. Trump’s allies are testing the limits of authoritarianism in broad daylight. We see it. We won’t be intimidated. And we won’t stop fighting back.”

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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.