The Trump administration is reviewing possible legal action against three Democratic members of Congress following a physical altercation with federal agents at a New Jersey Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility on Friday.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the incident involved members of Congress forcing their way into a federal facility and allegedly assaulting ICE agents.
According to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, an investigation is currently underway and arrests “are definitely on the table.”
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McLaughlin made the comments during a Saturday morning interview on CNN, where she stated, “There will likely be more arrests coming” as a result of the confrontation.
The lawmakers identified in the incident are Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Rob Menendez (D-NJ), and LaMonica McIver (D-NJ).
All three were reportedly part of a protest at the ICE facility and attempted to enter without authorization. McIver was seen on video pushing against ICE security agents stationed at the entrance.
“We actually have body camera footage of these members of Congress assaulting these ICE enforcement officers, including body slamming a female ICE officer,” McLaughlin said.
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She confirmed the existence of multiple recordings and emphasized the seriousness of the situation.
A spokesman for Watson Coleman pushed back on the allegations in a statement, saying the Congresswoman was exercising her lawful oversight duties.
“Threatening to arrest Members of Congress for exercising their lawful oversight authority is another example of this administration abusing its power to try to intimidate anyone who stands up to them,” the statement said.
Watson Coleman’s office also claimed to have reviewed the same footage, which they argue contradicts the DHS narrative.
“It proves ICE agents put their hands on Members of Congress … it also proves that DHS has been lying about this incident,” the spokesman added.
“We’re honestly surprised they released this footage given that it so wholly contradicts their claims. Nobody was ‘body slammed,’ nobody ‘assaulted’ any agents, and this footage confirms that.”
We’re at Delaney Hall, an ICE prison in Newark that opened without permission from the city & in violation of local ordinances.
We’ve heard stories of what it’s like in other ICE prisons. We’re exercising our oversight authority to see for ourselves.@RepLaMonica @RepMenendez pic.twitter.com/OIJuePH2XS
— Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (@RepBonnie) May 9, 2025
Rep. McIver addressed the incident during a press conference on Friday, stating she was physically mistreated during the encounter.
The way we were treated at Delaney Hall is almost unbelievable. ICE shoved me, manhandled @repbonnie, and arrested @rasjbaraka.
They disrespected us and tried to stop us from conducting the oversight we’re elected to do. But we’ll never back down in our fight for what is right. pic.twitter.com/ICh9Jc3t6B
— Rep. LaMonica McIver (@RepLaMonica) May 9, 2025
“I was assaulted by multiple ICE officers while regional directors of ICE watched it happen. Nobody offered an apology or said anything to me about what occurred out here,” McIver said.
The altercation occurred during a protest against the reopening of the facility, which the lawmakers said lacked required sanitation and safety permits.
NEW: DHS has provided @FoxNews ICE bodycam video from the altercation at the Delaney Hall detention facility yesterday. They say the video clearly shows @RepLaMonica (red clothing) shoving/elbowing her way past a DHS agent to get past the gate and into the property, followed… pic.twitter.com/GOAKm6U80W
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 10, 2025
However, following their unauthorized entry and inspection, Watson Coleman’s office conceded that the interior conditions were not as expected.
“It’s clean, they’re feeding them,” the office acknowledged, referring to the detainees being held in the facility.
The incident has sparked a political standoff over the boundaries of congressional oversight and the authority of federal law enforcement.
DHS maintains that the lawmakers unlawfully breached the facility and physically interfered with on-duty federal officers, while the lawmakers insist they were fulfilling their oversight responsibilities.
🚨BREAKING: I have obtained exclusive ICE officer body cam footage clearly showing Democrat Rep. LaMonica McIver verbally and physically assaulting federal agents in New Jersey after illegally entering an ICE detention facility.
In the video you can see indisputable evidence of… pic.twitter.com/msAQBz23oJ
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 10, 2025
As the investigation continues, DHS has not yet confirmed whether formal charges will be filed against any of the three members of Congress.
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