On Tuesday, as announced that evening by Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba, Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) was indicted by a federal jury in Newark, New Jersey for three charges to do with "forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers."
Habba had announced that her office was charging McIver last month after the congresswoman and other New Jersey Democrats tried to storm an ICE facility in Newark, getting into it with law enforcement in the process.
"As I have stated in the past, it is my Constitutional obligation as the Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer for New Jersey to ensure that our federal partners are protected when executing their duties. While people are free to express their views for or against particular policies, they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities those officers serve," Habba posted in part over X on Tuesday night. "Today’s decision by the grand jury is the next step in a process that my Office will pursue to a just end," she added.
Today a federal grand jury seated in Newark, New Jersey returned a three-count indictment charging U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver with forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers. This indictment has a maximum penalty of 8 years for Count One, an…
— US Attorney Habba (@USAttyHabba) June 10, 2025
A press release from the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey from Tuesday also shared more details.
There's plenty of information on McIver's alleged actions, which have also been caught on video and do not portray the congresswoman in a favorable light.
🚨WATCH: US Congresswoman, LaMonica McIver (wearing a red blazer), storms the gate of Delaney Hall Detention Center ASSAULTING an ICE agent. pic.twitter.com/4Q1deds1tl
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 10, 2025
The press release also outlined further what's next:
If convicted, McIver faces a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison on the forcible impeding and interfering charge set forth in Count One of the indictment. She faces a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison on the forcible impeding and interfering charge set forth in Count Two. She also faces a maximum penalty of 1 year in prison for Count Three.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McCarren of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
McIver posted a response to X on Tuesday evening, remaining as defiant as she has been since the matter occurred almost exactly a month ago now. In sharing her statement, she stressed that "I will not be intimidated."
"The facts of this case will prove I was simply doing my job and will expose these proceedings for what they are: a brazen attempt at political intimidation. This indictment is no more justified than the original charges, and is an effort by Trump's administration to doge accountability for the chaos ICE caused and scare me out of doing the work I was elected to do. But it won't work--I will not be intimidated. The facts are on our side, I will be entering a plea of not guilty, I'm grateful for the support of my community, and I look forward to my day in court," her statement read in full.
This indictment is no more justified than the original charges. I will not be intimidated. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/C0aZyrnNx8
— Rep. LaMonica McIver (@RepLaMonica) June 10, 2025
Although there does not yet appear to be a post or statement from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), one can easily predict his will be as defiant as McIver's post is, especially with the lengths he has gone to in the past to slam the charges and any sense of McIver being held accountable.
Not only did Jeffries and other top Democrats put out a partisan statement slamming Habba when she first announced charges would be brought on May 19, but he's also even made what appear to be threatening remarks about law enforcement and the Trump administration over the idea that McIver may be held accountable.
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