More steps
It all went down on Friday afternoon when Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark and Democratic candidate for New Jersey governor, was arrested outside an ICE facility alongside three members of Congress.
While the congresspeople—New Jersey Democratic Reps. Rob Menendez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and LaMonica McIver—were inside the Delaney Hall detention facility waiting to be given a tour, Baraka waited outside in a fenced-in parking lot as protestors gathered on the other side of the fence. He was told to leave the fenced-in part of the parking lot and, despite complying with the request, was then detained by ICE agents.
Interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey and Trump advisor Alina Habba said on X of the arrest, “The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon. He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.”
Oh really? Trump has broken multiple laws, as has Musk.
In her own statement, Rep. Watson Coleman explained that she and her fellow members of Congress were exercising their legal oversight function as they have previously done at the Elizabeth Detention Center “without incident,” she noted.
A city mayor doesn’t have that legal oversight function, I suppose, but arresting this one still looks like massive overkill.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs in the Department of Homeland Security, called the protest a “bizarre political stunt” and described the politicians as having stormed the gate of the center.
Oh we’re the ones who are bizarre. Not Trump’s gang of sadists but the people trying to monitor their sadism and report it to the citizenry.
Appearing on Fox News, McLaughlin said that the people detained at Delaney Hall were “the worst of the worst” and included members of the MS-13 gang. She described the claim that the group were exercising their legal oversight rights as “laughable.”
How is it laughable? Trump is not an emperor; Congress does have the power to monitor what he’s doing. Checks & balances.
In a statement shared to social media, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said that he was outraged by Baraka’s arrest and called for his immediate release. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) described the scenes outside Delaney Hall as an “absolute outrage” and also called for Baraka’s immediate release.
New Jersey Democratic Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim both released statements on Baraka’s arrest, with Booker also calling for Baraka’s release and describing his arrest as, “disturbing, unnecessary, and indicative of tactics that are undermining the safety and security of our communities.”
Trump’s people are acting as if he already is an absolute dictator.
*Head goes supernova*
I recommend that people watch this talk between the wonderful Marc Elias and Brian Tyler Cohen on the threat made by Stephen Miller that if the courts don’t follow Trump’s orders, habeas corpus will be suspended.
https://youtu.be/XhwIuvNe7TY?si=JWwlS88GriM82oZb
I have begun to suspect that there is a deliberate strategy by the Trump regime to push things as far as they can towards a social, economic and political collapse resulting in massive demonstrations, riots, and, without a shadow of doubt, armed gangs like the Proud Boys getting involved, so that this may be used as an excuse to suspend the writ of habeas corpus – in which case the Trump regime can do what they like against their political opponents and anybody who stands up to them. Trump invited the Proud Boy’s leader, Enriquie Tarrio, to Mar-a-Largo the other day. He is also making sure that right-wing groups are on his side, not only by pardoning violent January the sixth rioters, but compensating them monetarily for their internment.