NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The White House is pushing back against Newark Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka, who has hit interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba with a lawsuit this week after he was arrested and briefly charged with criminal trespassing last month outside an ICE facility.
Baraka, who is one of the leading Democratic candidates for New Jersey governor, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Habba, accusing her of “false arrest and malicious prosecution” in connection with his May 9 arrest and charges outside a federal immigration center.
He was one of several public officials, including Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver and Bonnie Watson Coleman, from the New Jersey congressional delegation, all of whom had massed outside the facility in protest. The U.S. attorney’s office said 13 days after it brought charges against Baraka that it was dismissing the case against him “for the sake of moving forward.”
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in New Jersey, accuses Habba of acting politically in Baraka’s May 9 arrest outside the Delaney Hall detention center, near Newark Liberty International Airport. Baraka was arrested during a protest outside the facility after being accused of trespassing and ignoring warnings from law enforcement officials to leave. He was held in custody for several hours before being released.
BUMPY WEATHER OVER NEWARK: HOUSE DEMOCRATS COULD FACE CONSEQUENCES FOR DELANEY HALL INCIDENT
The White House is pushing back against Democratic Newark, New Jersey Mayor Ras Baraka, who is suing interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba. Barak was arrested at an ICE facility protest and briefly charged with criminal trespassing last month, but the charges were dropped nearly two weeks later. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig and Getty Images)
The civil lawsuit filed by Baraka’s attorneys seeks damages for what they described as his “false arrest and malicious prosecution,” as well as the allegedly defamatory remarks Habba made about his case, including on social media.
In the lawsuit, Baraka’s lawyers accused Habba of acting as “a political operative, outside of any function intimately related to the judicial process, and in her individual personal capacity.”
Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, responded to Baraka’s move by calling it a “meritless lawsuit” and a “desperate attempt” to stay relevant.
BOULDER TERROR ATTACK RESULT OF ‘RECKLESS BIDEN POLICIES,’ WHITE HOUSE SAYS
Security personnel stand in front of Delaney Hall, a recently re-opened immigration detention center, in Newark, N.J. on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
“Much like Mr. Bakara’s last stunt – storming a federal detention facility in defense of criminal illegal aliens – this meritless lawsuit is just his latest desperate attempt to try and stay relevant among the far-left Democrat base,” said Jackson.
Habba, meanwhile, dismissed Baraka’s lawsuit and mocked it as “shocking.”
“My advice to the mayor – feel free to join me in prioritizing violent crime and public safety. Far better use of time for the great citizens of New Jersey,” Habba said in an X post on Monday night.
HOMELAND SECURITY REMOVES ‘SANCTUARY JURISDICTIONS’ LIST FROM ITS WEBSITE
Alina Habba speaks after being sworn in as interim U.S. Attorney General for New Jersey, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on March 28, 2025. (Pool File via AP)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE
Baraka’s team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
Original News Source Link – Fox News
Running For Office? Conservative Campaign Consulting – Monthly Rates!