Lamonica McQuiver is accused of assaulting Democrats of blocking immigration enforcement.
A representative of US Lamonica McQuiver pleaded not guilty to a criminal case arising from a visit to an immigration facility, saying President Donald Trump is working hard to “threate” her.
McQuiver entered her plea at Wednesday’s hearing. She faces accusations of assaulting, resisting, obstructing, obstructing and obstructing federal employees during a May 9 Congressional oversight visit to New Jersey’s Immigration Detention Center.
“They won’t threaten me. They won’t stop me from doing my job,” she said outside the Newark courthouse.
The Trump administration has previously threatened to arrest and charge Democrats over immigration-related issues.
However, McQuiver and her supporters emphasize that members of Congress have the right to inspect immigration facilities.
Democrats also characterize such accusations as an unfounded effort to block criticism and surveillance of the administration’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement.
Two of the three counts facing McIver are misdemeanors of sentences of eight years in prison and a prison sentence of up to one year in prison. The exam is scheduled for November 10th.
McQuiver was indicted by interim US lawyer Alina Haba, appointed to the Trump administration after previously representing the president as a personal lawyer at his trial during his two terms.
A video shared by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shows McQuiber in a crowd of protesters and officers outside the Delaney Hall detention facility in New Jersey. Her elbow appears to be pushed into the officer, but it is unclear whether this is intentional or not.
The criminal charges against her allegedly she “ccused” the agent and tried to grab him.
Newark Mayor Las Baraka was arrested during a protest against a trespass that was later dropped. He filed a lawsuit against Haba about what he called malicious persecution.
Baraka appeared alongside McQuiver on Wednesday, saying the Trump administration is using law enforcement as “an appendage of their ideological to start hammering us.”
McIver is one of the 12 Congressional members representing New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives. But she is not the only Democratic official who clashes with the Trump administration over immigration policy.
Earlier this month, Trump publicly meditated on the arrest of California Gov. Gavin Newsom after protests broke out in Los Angeles over immigrant raids.
“If I were Tom, I would do that,” Trump said. “I think it’s amazing.”
Then, on June 12, during a protest-related press conference, federal agents handcuffed and temporarily detained California Sen. Alex Padilla after being forced to the ground.
Padilla interrupted the meeting and asked speaker, DHS Secretary Christy Noem. The DHS later said that Padilla had not identified herself, despite the video of the incident showing that he clearly did so.
The senator also said he had “clamored” into Noem, the allegation he was opposed. In a statement, Padilla described his actions as an exercise of “his duty to carry out Congress oversight of federal operations.”
Federal law says that members of Congress have the authority to inspect immigration detention centers and cannot block admission, but the DHS issued guidelines earlier this month, saying the agency has sole discretion as to who has entered the immigration enforcement field office.
He also said that 72 hours of advanced notification would be required before lawmakers can visit.
