ACLU-NJ Statement on Appellate Court's Refusal to Dismiss US v. McIver

NEWARK – In a divided opinion, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit today refused to reverse lower court rulings in U.S. v. McIver. The ACLU of New Jersey, along with the National Women’s Law Center and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, had filed an amicus brief in support of Rep. LaMonica McIver, who is facing federal charges stemming from a congressional oversight visit of Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center in Newark. The brief urged the appellate court to dismiss the indictment because the charges brought against Rep. McIver are acts of political retribution.

In response to the ruling, Amol Sinha, executive director of the ACLU of New Jersey, issued the following statement:

"Congresswoman McIver visited Delaney Hall to carry out congressional oversight of an immigration detention facility, an essential function of accountability that she has the legal authority to do. As ICE continues to brutalize our communities with impunity, Rep. McIver is being targeted by the federal government because she disagrees with President Trump on some of the most pressing issues of our time, including immigration policy. Weaponizing the DOJ to target a sitting Member of Congress undermines our system of checks and balances and threatens our democracy. We will continue to urge the court to dismiss the charges against Rep. McIver."