Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) speaks during a news conference with the Congressional Progressive Caucus on February 6, 2025.
'None of Us Knows Who Will Be Next,' Pro-Democracy Coalition Says After McIver Indictment
"Our justice system should not be a tool in Trump's authoritarian power grabs," said the Not Above the Law Coalition.
The leaders of a pro-democracy coalition warned Tuesday that the grand jury indictment of Democratic U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver marks a "chilling escalation" of President Donald Trump's lawless and dangerous efforts to crush his political opponents using the power of the federal government, including the Justice Department and U.S. military.
"Trump has shown time and again that he’ll use the levers of federal power to punish his critics," said the Not Above the Law coalition, an alliance that includes more than 150 advocacy groups, grassroots organizers, legal scholars, and others.
"Whether it's deploying the military against protesters in California, arresting a sitting judge in Wisconsin, or prosecuting members of Congress in New Jersey, his actions are designed to silence anyone who stands in his way and undermine checks and balances," said coalition co-chairs Lisa Gilbert of Public Citizen, Praveen Fernandes of the Constitutional Accountability Center, Kelsey Herbert of MoveOn, and Brett Edkins of Stand Up America.
McIver (D-N.J.) was indicted Tuesday on three counts of "forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers," charges stemming from her involvement in a May oversight visit at a privately run migrant detention center in Newark, New Jersey and subsequent confrontation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents outside of the facility.
If found guilty, McIver could face up to 17 years in prison.
"This indictment is no more justified than the original charges, and is an effort by Trump's administration to dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused."
In a statement following the indictment, McIver said she will be "entering a plea of not guilty" and expressed confidence that "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 dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused and scare me out of doing the work I was elected to do," said McIver. "But it won't work—I will not be intimidated."
The Not Above the Law coalition said Tuesday that the McIver indictment is an ominous signal of what's to come as Trump wields the military and federal government to quell opposition to his mass deportation agenda and other abuses of power.
"In just the past few days, we have seen Trump target a labor leader representing hardworking Californians and a member of Congress representing her New Jersey constituents," the alliance said, referring to McIver as well as SEIU California president David Huerta.
Huerta was arrested last Friday at the site of an ICE raid in Los Angeles. The labor leader, who was released from federal custody Monday on a $50,000 bond, was charged with conspiracy to impede an officer, a felony that carries up to six years in prison.
"None of us knows who will be next," the coalition said Tuesday. "The DOJ should immediately drop these politically motivated, unwarranted charges—our justice system should not be a tool in Trump's authoritarian power grabs. Congresswoman McIver deserves justice—and so does our democracy."
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The leaders of a pro-democracy coalition warned Tuesday that the grand jury indictment of Democratic U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver marks a "chilling escalation" of President Donald Trump's lawless and dangerous efforts to crush his political opponents using the power of the federal government, including the Justice Department and U.S. military.
"Trump has shown time and again that he’ll use the levers of federal power to punish his critics," said the Not Above the Law coalition, an alliance that includes more than 150 advocacy groups, grassroots organizers, legal scholars, and others.
"Whether it's deploying the military against protesters in California, arresting a sitting judge in Wisconsin, or prosecuting members of Congress in New Jersey, his actions are designed to silence anyone who stands in his way and undermine checks and balances," said coalition co-chairs Lisa Gilbert of Public Citizen, Praveen Fernandes of the Constitutional Accountability Center, Kelsey Herbert of MoveOn, and Brett Edkins of Stand Up America.
McIver (D-N.J.) was indicted Tuesday on three counts of "forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers," charges stemming from her involvement in a May oversight visit at a privately run migrant detention center in Newark, New Jersey and subsequent confrontation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents outside of the facility.
If found guilty, McIver could face up to 17 years in prison.
"This indictment is no more justified than the original charges, and is an effort by Trump's administration to dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused."
In a statement following the indictment, McIver said she will be "entering a plea of not guilty" and expressed confidence that "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 dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused and scare me out of doing the work I was elected to do," said McIver. "But it won't work—I will not be intimidated."
The Not Above the Law coalition said Tuesday that the McIver indictment is an ominous signal of what's to come as Trump wields the military and federal government to quell opposition to his mass deportation agenda and other abuses of power.
"In just the past few days, we have seen Trump target a labor leader representing hardworking Californians and a member of Congress representing her New Jersey constituents," the alliance said, referring to McIver as well as SEIU California president David Huerta.
Huerta was arrested last Friday at the site of an ICE raid in Los Angeles. The labor leader, who was released from federal custody Monday on a $50,000 bond, was charged with conspiracy to impede an officer, a felony that carries up to six years in prison.
"None of us knows who will be next," the coalition said Tuesday. "The DOJ should immediately drop these politically motivated, unwarranted charges—our justice system should not be a tool in Trump's authoritarian power grabs. Congresswoman McIver deserves justice—and so does our democracy."
- 'This Is Not Normal': Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Arrested at Contested ICE Detention Facility ›
- 'Should Send a Chill Down the Spine of Every American': Trump DOJ Charges New Jersey Democrat ›
- 'Never Should Have Gotten This Far': Trump DOJ Moves to Drop Case Against Union Leader David Huerta | Common Dreams ›
The leaders of a pro-democracy coalition warned Tuesday that the grand jury indictment of Democratic U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver marks a "chilling escalation" of President Donald Trump's lawless and dangerous efforts to crush his political opponents using the power of the federal government, including the Justice Department and U.S. military.
"Trump has shown time and again that he’ll use the levers of federal power to punish his critics," said the Not Above the Law coalition, an alliance that includes more than 150 advocacy groups, grassroots organizers, legal scholars, and others.
"Whether it's deploying the military against protesters in California, arresting a sitting judge in Wisconsin, or prosecuting members of Congress in New Jersey, his actions are designed to silence anyone who stands in his way and undermine checks and balances," said coalition co-chairs Lisa Gilbert of Public Citizen, Praveen Fernandes of the Constitutional Accountability Center, Kelsey Herbert of MoveOn, and Brett Edkins of Stand Up America.
McIver (D-N.J.) was indicted Tuesday on three counts of "forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers," charges stemming from her involvement in a May oversight visit at a privately run migrant detention center in Newark, New Jersey and subsequent confrontation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents outside of the facility.
If found guilty, McIver could face up to 17 years in prison.
"This indictment is no more justified than the original charges, and is an effort by Trump's administration to dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused."
In a statement following the indictment, McIver said she will be "entering a plea of not guilty" and expressed confidence that "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 dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused and scare me out of doing the work I was elected to do," said McIver. "But it won't work—I will not be intimidated."
The Not Above the Law coalition said Tuesday that the McIver indictment is an ominous signal of what's to come as Trump wields the military and federal government to quell opposition to his mass deportation agenda and other abuses of power.
"In just the past few days, we have seen Trump target a labor leader representing hardworking Californians and a member of Congress representing her New Jersey constituents," the alliance said, referring to McIver as well as SEIU California president David Huerta.
Huerta was arrested last Friday at the site of an ICE raid in Los Angeles. The labor leader, who was released from federal custody Monday on a $50,000 bond, was charged with conspiracy to impede an officer, a felony that carries up to six years in prison.
"None of us knows who will be next," the coalition said Tuesday. "The DOJ should immediately drop these politically motivated, unwarranted charges—our justice system should not be a tool in Trump's authoritarian power grabs. Congresswoman McIver deserves justice—and so does our democracy."
- 'This Is Not Normal': Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Arrested at Contested ICE Detention Facility ›
- 'Should Send a Chill Down the Spine of Every American': Trump DOJ Charges New Jersey Democrat ›
- 'Never Should Have Gotten This Far': Trump DOJ Moves to Drop Case Against Union Leader David Huerta | Common Dreams ›