In response to the federal indictment of Congresswoman LaMonica McIver after a congressional oversight visit of Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center in Newark, ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha issued the following statement:
“The indictment of Congresswoman McIver by the U.S. Department of Justice is an outrageous and unprecedented escalation of the Trump administration’s intimidation campaign against those who refuse to do its bidding.
“Congresswoman McIver was at Delaney Hall carrying out an oversight visit of an immigration detention center, as members of Congress have broad authority to do as an essential aspect of protecting their constituents and holding government agencies accountable. With this indictment, it's clear that the Trump administration is continuing to target lawmakers across New Jersey and the country for refusing to be complicit in its ongoing assault on immigrant communities and the fundamental rights at the core of our democracy.
“All public officials must immediately denounce this indictment. Members of Congress must leverage their oversight powers to provide strong checks and balances on the Trump administration’s shameful intimidation campaign and its cruel mass detention and deportation agenda.”
