Newark Mayor files Lawsuit against Interim U.S. Attorney over false arrest claims
The complaint filed by the mayor of Newark against Alina Habba includes damages for trespassing charges following her arrest on May 9.
A few minutes ago, Newark Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ras Baraka filed a lawsuit against Alina Habba, the acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. The mayor accuses her of false arrest and malicious prosecution regarding the charges brought against her in the May 9 arrest outside the Delaney Hall immigration center.
The U.S. District Court in New Jersey alleges that Habba was "politically oriented" in Baraka's arrest. The civil lawsuit includes damages for what her lawyers describe as a "wrongful arrest and malicious prosecution." It also mentions the alleged defamatory comments Habba made about her case. However, the U.S. Attorney's office stated that it would drop the charges against Baraka in order to "move forward."
Baraka rejects all accusations against him
Baraka, who is known as an opponent of President Donald Trump's immigration policies, is accused of illegally breaking into Delaney Hall, a detention center with approximately 1,000 beds. He was one of the public officials who gathered at the protest at the center to protest Donald Trump, along with Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver, Bonnie Watson Coleman, among others.
Habba stated in an interview with MSNBC that he ignored "multiple warnings" from ICE representatives. He also mentioned that when he agreed to leave the facility, he was arrested for no reason, which seemed to be the police's goal: "After they finally told us to leave, and I told them I was leaving, they came out the door and arrested me," Habba stated.
More accusations from Baraka's lawyers and the possible consequences for his candidacy
Baraka's lawyers accused Habba of acting as a "political agent" who could perform "any function intimately related to the judicial process and in his individual personal capacity." They also accused Habba of approving the arrest despite "clear evidence that Mayor Baraka had not committed the lesser offense of 'defiant trespass.'" They also named Ricky Patel, the DHS Investigations agent in charge in Newark, as a defendant.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka sues U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for false arrest and defamation after a trespassing case was briefly filed and dropped, lawsuit includes Habba’s social media post as evidence. Photo: X
This news could impact the progressive candidate's candidacy due to the negative image it could project on potential voters. Recall that the gubernatorial primary elections will be held on June 10 to determine who will replace current Governor Phil Murphy.
