Dem mayor arrested for trespassing ICE facility floated as pick for state's No 2 office

Despite losing his bid for the Democratic gubernatorial information past week, progressive Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was precocious arrested extracurricular an ICE installation during a protest, is apt not finished successful New Jersey politics, according to governmental strategists from some sides of the aisle.

According to a New Jersey governmental insider, Baraka is apt to adjacent beryllium tapped by the now-Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mikie Sherrill for the lieutenant politician role, the No. 2 spot successful the state.

Mayor of Newark since 2014, Baraka has garnered a estimation arsenic a progressive. It was his arrest extracurricular an ICE detention installation successful Newark connected May 9, however, that propelled him to the nationalist stage.

Baraka filed a suit against U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba this month, accusing her of "false apprehension and malicious prosecution" successful transportation with the incident.

WHO IS THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING AT AN ICE DETENTION CENTER?

Left: Newark Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka speaks extracurricular the Delaney Hall ICE installation during a protest. Right: Security unit basal successful beforehand of Delaney Hall, a precocious reopened migration detention center, successful Newark, N.J., May 7, 2025. (Getty Images | AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

He was 1 of respective nationalist officials, including Democratic Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver and Bonnie Watson Coleman, who allegedly rushed past information done the gates of the installation with a radical of protesters, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security. 

The U.S. attorney's bureau has since dismissed the lawsuit against Baraka "for the involvement of moving forward." 

Kenny Gonzalez, enforcement manager of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, told Fox News Digital that "the time that his apprehension happened, [Baraka] truly did go a leader of New Jersey's Democrat Party."

Baraka’s run took afloat vantage of the moment, adjacent opening to nonstop fundraising messages to supporters portion helium was inactive incarcerated, according to Politico.

Politico newsman Matt Friedman posted a screenshot of a substance connection from Baraka’s run that reads successful each caps "RAS BARAKA HAS BEEN ARRESTED" and "Ras was astatine Delaney Hall contiguous demanding introduction into the ICE detention halfway wherever Trump and MAGA extremists are illegally detaining people." 

The connection went connected to say, "Ras is acceptable to bash immoderate it takes to halt Trump and support New Jerseyans from his utmost agenda. We request you with america present much than ever. Donate now." 

ICE BREAKOUT IN NEW JERSEY SYMPTOM OF DEMOCRATIC ‘CHAOS’ ACROSS THE COUNTRY, LOCAL GOP LEADER SAYS

Members of Congress astatine an ICE detention installation successful New Jersey (X/@RepBonnie)

Gonzalez explained that "almost each Democrat elected official, including each of his superior opponents for governor, came retired against what had happened, calling it immoderate benignant of injustice and saying that it was wrong." 

"I bash judge that we were close successful predicting that this stunt would really boost him, and it truly did," said Gonzalez.  

He said that though aboriginal polling had Baraka successful a distant 3rd place, the Newark mayor’s performance, coming successful 2nd with 20.6% of the vote, "was truly the large quality of the night."

"Mikie Sherrill spent millions and millions much dollars than helium did. So it's nary astonishment that she emerged arsenic the superior winner. But Ras Baraka was a distant 3rd place, and helium came successful second," said Gonzalez. "So the stunt decidedly boosted him, and I deliberation to this time helium remains very, precise fashionable among the Democrat Party."

HOMELAND SECURITY REVEALS IDENTITIES OF THE 4 ‘PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS’ WHO ESCAPED NEWARK ICE FACILITY

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)

"I wouldn't beryllium amazed if Mikie Sherrill picks Ras Baraka to beryllium her lieutenant politician candidate," helium said.

"He enactment up a formidable performance, and he's an African-American person who has precise heavy ties to galore municipality communities," helium went on. "Mikie Sherrill couldn't adjacent triumph her ain location county. So I deliberation she should astir apt prime idiosyncratic who did."

Gonzalez is optimistic that Republican gubernatorial campaigner Jack Ciattarelli, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, tin flip the New Jersey governorship backmost red.

"What Ras Baraka did was helium failed to fulfill his work arsenic politician of Newark … helium enactment amerciable immigrants implicit Newark citizens," helium said. "There are truthful galore different issues that New Jerseyans face, specified arsenic precocious spot taxes, unsafe neighborhoods, a schoolhouse backing look that hasn't worked successful galore years. So I judge that commonsense voters deliberation that Ras Baraka should person focused his run a small spot much connected that."

US ATTORNEY ALINA HABBA ANNOUNCES REP MCIVER HIT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES OVER NEWARK ICE CLASH

Jack Ciattarelli (Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Kevin Hagan, a New Jersey Democratic governmental strategist and advisor, told Fox News Digital that "Baraka surely created a run that not lone gained attraction but earned an awesome effect of votes connected Election Day."

Hagan credited Baraka’s occurrence not to the Delaney Hall protestation and apprehension but to "his willingness to instrumentality connected President Trump and his policies but besides bring to the forefront issues important to the Democratic Party connected education, affordability and prime of beingness successful the state."

Hagan said that based connected however good Baraka ran his campaign, helium should "certainly" astatine slightest "be considered arsenic a imaginable candidate."

"But what's important present is the Sherrill run and the congresswoman deciding connected who is champion to beryllium her partner, to spot the campaign's mode to triumph successful November, but much importantly, a spouse to govern successful January," helium said.

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On whether Democrats volition beryllium capable to propulsion disconnected a triumph successful November, Hagan pointed retired that implicit the past 32 years, New Jersey has been governed for 16 years by a Democrat and 16 years by a Republican.

"So, from a partisan perspective," helium said, "Democrats tin instrumentality thing for granted successful their effort to support power of the governor's office."