Texas Democrats Defend Rep. McIver Against DOJ Charges

President Donald Trump

New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver (D) is facing charges after an altercation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and Texas Democrats are going to bat for her. Department of Justice (DOJ) Attorney Alina Habba has filed the charges, but Texas Democrats argue that they're political charged.

According to the charges filed by Habba, Rep. McIver is accused of “assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement.” The incident took place at Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center in New Jersey.

Responding to the charges, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D) released a statement, calling it a "weaponization of government."

"Rep. LaMonica McIver was doing her job - conducting oversight, standing up for her constituents, and demanding answers from an out-of-control administration," she argued, adding that doing so is "not a crime." "That's her constitutional duty. That's exactly what the people of New Jersey's 10th Congressional District sent her to do," and, "while attempting to conduct oversight, she was met with retaliation, intimidation - and now, they're hitting her with charges."

Rep. Greg Casar (D) also weighed in on the political debacle on social media, writing, "the baseless charges against Congresswoman McIver for simply doing her job should send a chill down the spine of every American." "If the president can arrest law-abiding elected officials in an attempt to silence them, then no American is safe from his abuses of power," he added on X.

House Judiciary Committee Democrats, of which Rep. Crockett is a Ranking Member, similarly issued a forceful statement defending Rep. McIver.

Calling the DOJ’s actions a “blatant attempt to intimidate Members of Congress,” the Democrats argued that the investigation is an attack on congressional oversight authority. “We stand by Representative McIver’s exercise of her constitutional rights and duties,” the statement read. “If you come for the legal rights of one of us, you come for the rights of all of us.”

Daniel Molina

Daniel Molina is a managing editor and legislative correspondent with a decade of experience covering the evolving political landscape of the American South and Southwest.