Three congressional Democrats who scuffled with law enforcement officials at a New Jersey ICE facility may face arrests and criminal charges, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told CNN Saturday that there will "likely be more arrests coming" after Friday's protests led to the arrests of several people, including Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, reports Axios.
"We actually have body camera footage of these members of Congress assaulting these ICE enforcement officers, including body slamming a female ICE officer," McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin said there is an "ongoing investigation" and that arresting the lawmakers is "definitely on the table."
The lawmakers have been identified as New Jersey Democrat Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver.
The lawmakers, however, say they were the ones who were assaulted by law enforcement officials while they were at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility, which is run by private prison operator GEO Group.
"Threatening to arrest Members of Congress for exercising their lawful oversight authority is another example of this administration abusing its power to try to intimidate anyone to stand up to them," a spokesperson for Watson Coleman told Axios.
The spokesperson said the office reviewed body camera footage and has proof that "ICE agents put their hands on members of Congress…it also proves that DHS has been lying about this incident."
The footage also proves that "nobody was 'body slammed' and no agents were assaulted, said the spokesperson, adding that "We're honestly surprised they released this footage given that it so wholly contradicts their claims."
Meanwhile, McIver said at a press conference on Friday that "multiple ICE officers" assaulted her while "regional directors of ICE watched it happen."
Baraka on Saturday denied trespassing at the detention center. He was released at around 8 p.m. Friday night. He has been accused of trespassing and ignoring warnings to leave the center.
McLaughlin Saturday accused the Newark mayor, who is running for governor, of playing "political games," but Baraka said he is "shocked" by the lies he says are being told.
He commented that he was invited to the center for a press conference, and 'Then they arrested me on the sidewalk."
Baraka has been pushing back against the building and opening of the 1,000-bed center, saying that it should not open because of building permit issues.
Alina Habba, the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey and a former attorney for President Donald Trump, said Baraka had "chosen to disregard the law."
Witnesses said he was arrested after trying to join the members of Congress to enter the facility.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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