A moment of tension was lived this Friday in the city of Newark, New Jersey, when ICE agents arrested the mayor of the Ras Baraka city, in circumstances qualified as arbitrary and illegal. Analilia Mejía, co -director of the Democracy Popular Coalition, was at the scene and narrated how the events occurred, amid the complaints of the irregular use of a detention center that allegedly does not have municipal permits.
A clandestine and permits center
Mejía, in an interview with Jesús García, a journalist of The newspaper In New York, he said that it all began at the beginning of the month, when human rights organizations They detected that ICE was using the APEADEY HALL Detention Center without authority.
“We learned that The city had not given ICE permission to convert that detention center and use it ”, explained. He added that neither the Police Department nor the Newark Firefighters have inspected or approved the conditions of the place.
Before these irregularities, Mayor Ras Baraka came personally on several occasions to the center to verify its operation. “Several mornings has arrived at the center, including this morning, asking to be given permission to investigate and ensure that the conditions are up to date, as the city commands, as the municipal law sends,” he said.
“They pushed the congressmen and took the mayor”
The most critical point occurred around 1:30 in the afternoon, when Baraka went to the place accompanied by three members of the Congress: Robert Menéndez, Lammonica Mciver and Bonnie Watson Coleman, who tried to exercise their right to inspect federal facilities.
“They asked that the three be given entrance, plus the mayor who was accompanying them. The leaders (from the site) allowed them to enter the parking lot, but after a few moments ICE asked the mayor to leave. The mayor did it immediately, he calmed down ”, Mejía narrated.
It was at that time when, according to the witness, the situation became violent: “People who They were masked, that they had guns, which in their clothes carried ICE details, They joined in an aggressive way, pushed the members of Congress, and grabbed the mayor and took him inside the center. ”
Subsequently, activists and congressmen They confirmed that Baraka was transferred to another installation.
-“It is stopped in a center that we understand that it is a federal center, but it is not marked. It’s a ghost center, He is not listed as a prison. It looks like a shopping center. It is not a place that looks obvious as a prison or a detention center, ”he denounced.
Given this situation, the people who were on the site during the visit They began to protest and claim the release of the mayor. The activist said they are in communication with lawyers, the governor’s office Phil Murphy and organizations such as ACLU to achieve an immediate solution.
Mejía said that this is part of an escalation of abuse by the authorities.
“This is a time where It is obvious that the Federal Government under Trump is getting used from laws, to deny rights. It doesn’t matter if it is an immigrant or even a person chosen to represent the largest city in the state of New Jersey, ”he said.
On the outskirts of the center where Ras Baraka would be detained, They maintain vigil and protests organized by religious leaders, human rights and citizens defenders. The congressmen promised not to leave the place until the mayor is released.
“No one is above the law”
The Federal Interim Prosecutor for the New Jersey district, Alina Habba, confirmed the arrest of Newark mayor and accused him of trying to put himself above the law.
“The mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, He incurred in abode and ignored multiple warnings of national security research To retire from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey, this afternoon. He has voluntarily opted to ignore the law. That will not be tolerated in this state. It has been put in custody. No one is above the law. ”
Continue reading:
• They arrested Ras Baraka, mayor of Newark, in front of an ICE detention center
• ICE operation in Massachusetts ends in Trifulca: residents claimed court order
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