Following the controversial arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka by Department of Homeland Security agents, Senator Erin Maye Quade has stepped forward to vehemently demand his release. Mayor Baraka's detainment occurred last Friday at a federal immigration detention center in Newark — a site that he, along with Representatives Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver, and Bonnie Watson Coleman, claimed was lacking proper permits. Their access to the facility, which can hold up to 1,000 detainees, was denied, escalating tensions between local officials and federal law enforcement agencies.
In a robust statement released on her official website, Senator Maye Quade called the arrest an "abomination" and cited it as part of an ongoing pattern undermining the rule of law. She accused immigration agents of forcefully breaking into homes and businesses to perform arrests and criticized their expulsion of U.S. citizens. Her condemnation did not just stretch to target actions on the ground, but it also castigated Republican complicity, both in Congress and the Supreme Court, for not intervening to halt these operations. "I demand the release of Mayor Baraka. His arrest is an abomination. In less than four months, this administration has desecrated the idea of ‘rule of law’ in this country and around the world," Senator Maye Quade said in the statement.
Further pushing the envelope, the senator not only demanded Mayor Baraka's release but also called for the return of every person "illegally removed" from the United States. The statement serves as a clarion call for the legislative and judicial branches to exercise their constitutionally mandated powers to curb executive overreach. "Free Mayor Baraka. Free every person who has been arrested and imprisoned in this campaign of hate. Bring back every person who has been illegally removed from the United States," Maye Quade urged.
This incident has effectively turned a spotlight on the increasingly strained relationship between federal immigration authorities and local governments. Mayor Baraka's arrest reflects a broader national debate over immigration enforcement and sanctuary city policies. Amidst this political quagmire, figures like Senator Maye Quade are striving to fiercely hold onto democratic processes, which they believe to be under threat. "Congress exist to check the power of the President," she stated, calling upon her fellow lawmakers and justices to actively to engage in providing necessary checks and balances.
