Rep. Robert Menendez Jr. On the Newark Mayor Arrest: ‘It Was a Clear Act of Intimidation’

[Clip starts MCIVER If ░░░░░░░░ think that they can ░░░░░░░░ three members of Congress ░░░░░░░░ this and a mayor ░░░░░░░░ mayor of the largest ░░░░░░░░ in New Jersey they ░░░░░░░░ treat anybody any kind ░░░░░░░░ way They are each ░░░░░░░░ every day they are ░░░░░░░░ people with no respect ░░░░░░░░ dignity and they are ░░░░░░░░ and unhinged and we ░░░░░░░░ not stand for this ░░░░░░░░ now we want our ░░░░░░░░ released UNKNOWN Right now ░░░░░░░░ Right now WATSON COLEMAN ░░░░░░░░ and gentlemen this is ░░░░░░░░ weaponization of law enforcement ░░░░░░░░ the United States of ░░░░░░░░ Do you understand what ░░░░░░░░ means That means that ░░░░░░░░ of us are safe ░░░░░░░░ 2 That s right ░░░░░░░░ COLEMAN We will not ░░░░░░░░ this Clip ends Wallace ░░░░░░░░ members of Congress from ░░░░░░░░ Jersey today protesting the ░░░░░░░░ of Newark Mayor Ras ░░░░░░░░ at an ICE facility ░░░░░░░░ afternoon We re joined ░░░░░░░░ one of those members ░░░░░░░░ Congress New Jersey Congressman ░░░░░░░░ Menendez Congressman just take ░░░░░░░░ through what happened today ░░░░░░░░ JR Yeah And I ░░░░░░░░ you having me on ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ to clear the record ░░░░░░░░ what happened Myself Congresswoman ░░░░░░░░ McIver and Congresswoman Bonnie ░░░░░░░░ Coleman appeared at Delaney ░░░░░░░░ Now as members of ░░░░░░░░ we have a statutory ░░░░░░░░ to make an unannounced ░░░░░░░░ to any ICE facility ░░░░░░░░ we ve done previously ░░░░░░░░ the Elizabeth Detention Center ░░░░░░░░ that was our intention ░░░░░░░░ at Delaney Hall a ░░░░░░░░ opened privately run detention ░░░░░░░░ in the city of ░░░░░░░░ We were allowed in ░░░░░░░░ were told to wait ░░░░░░░░ ICE brass from Newark ░░░░░░░░ arrive We were sitting ░░░░░░░░ for over an hour ░░░░░░░░ for the people out ░░░░░░░░ who are saying this ░░░░░░░░ a staged protest or ░░░░░░░░ demonstration just not accurate ░░░░░░░░ were waiting to perform ░░░░░░░░ oversight function as we ░░░░░░░░ statutorily allowed to do ░░░░░░░░ happened as we were ░░░░░░░░ there when it reached ░░░░░░░░ hour hour and a ░░░░░░░░ point was the ICE ░░░░░░░░ that we ve been ░░░░░░░░ for came into the ░░░░░░░░ waiting room that we ░░░░░░░░ sitting in walked by ░░░░░░░░ and walked towards the ░░░░░░░░ that we came into ░░░░░░░░ followed them as did ░░░░░░░░ other two Congressmembers and ░░░░░░░░ is when we found ░░░░░░░░ or realized that Mayor ░░░░░░░░ was there And what ░░░░░░░░ after that was something ░░░░░░░░ I never thought I ░░░░░░░░ see in this country ░░░░░░░░ Baraka was told he ░░░░░░░░ trespassing There was a ░░░░░░░░ with ICE Eventually Mayor ░░░░░░░░ goes back onto the ░░░░░░░░ side of the gate ░░░░░░░░ gate closes and that ░░░░░░░░ have been the end ░░░░░░░░ it But ICE a ░░░░░░░░ of the ICE team ░░░░░░░░ was there was on ░░░░░░░░ phone with someone who ░░░░░░░░ the person there even ░░░░░░░░ Mayor Baraka was on ░░░░░░░░ public side of the ░░░░░░░░ to go arrest him ░░░░░░░░ then they opened the ░░░░░░░░ up There were over ░░░░░░░░ armed ICE agents over ░░░░░░░░ and there s video ░░░░░░░░ it s clear to ░░░░░░░░ there s a mayor ░░░░░░░░ the largest city in ░░░░░░░░ Jersey three members of ░░░░░░░░ over 20 armed agents ░░░░░░░░ additional ICE officials there ░░░░░░░░ then that is when ░░░░░░░░ arrested Mayor Baraka And ░░░░░░░░ was an immense amount ░░░░░░░░ physical interaction not just ░░░░░░░░ myself but Congresswoman Watson ░░░░░░░░ and with Congresswoman McIver ░░░░░░░░ We played some sound ░░░░░░░░ yours from earlier and ░░░░░░░░ were very high I ░░░░░░░░ want to make sure ░░░░░░░░ understand the facts So ░░░░░░░░ re saying that the ░░░░░░░░ was not trespassing other ░░░░░░░░ that period when he ░░░░░░░░ into the gate but ░░░░░░░░ came back out and ░░░░░░░░ that when he was ░░░░░░░░ he was outside of ░░░░░░░░ gate I just MENENDEZ ░░░░░░░░ That s correct Wallace ░░░░░░░░ wanted to do my ░░░░░░░░ to understand the facts ░░░░░░░░ JR That s correct ░░░░░░░░ what you ll see ░░░░░░░░ when he s on ░░░░░░░░ side of the gate ░░░░░░░░ the public can go ░░░░░░░░ right So when we ░░░░░░░░ there this is important ░░░░░░░░ is maybe three people ░░░░░░░░ right We went inside ░░░░░░░░ were there for over ░░░░░░░░ hour and a half ░░░░░░░░ we came back that ░░░░░░░░ when we saw the ░░░░░░░░ The mayor left to ░░░░░░░░ back to the public ░░░░░░░░ of the gate My ░░░░░░░░ is that he was ░░░░░░░░ in And when I ░░░░░░░░ allowed in I mean ░░░░░░░░ more than three steps ░░░░░░░░ to the other side ░░░░░░░░ the gate when ICE ░░░░░░░░ him about having to ░░░░░░░░ because he was trespassing ░░░░░░░░ goes to the other ░░░░░░░░ of the gate back ░░░░░░░░ the public side right ░░░░░░░░ gate closes Again that ░░░░░░░░ where this all should ░░░░░░░░ ended but instead they ░░░░░░░░ to open the gate ░░░░░░░░ up leave the you ░░░░░░░░ ICE area to the ░░░░░░░░ side and that s ░░░░░░░░ they arrested him and ░░░░░░░░ him in handcuffs And ░░░░░░░░ should all be on ░░░░░░░░ should all be on ░░░░░░░░ And it s a ░░░░░░░░ clear record despite what ░░░░░░░░ administration is trying to ░░░░░░░░ and despite what Fox ░░░░░░░░ and others are trying ░░░░░░░░ say Heilemann Hey Congressman ░░░░░░░░ s John Heilemann I ░░░░░░░░ want to ask you ░░░░░░░░ s a lot of ░░░░░░░░ here as you ve ░░░░░░░░ of gone through and ░░░░░░░░ this picture I d ░░░░░░░░ to ask you just ░░░░░░░░ tell us how you ░░░░░░░░ characterize what you found ░░░░░░░░ about this Like what ░░░░░░░░ the headline of the ░░░░░░░░ of the ICE officials ░░░░░░░░ what illegal Abusive Harassment ░░░░░░░░ would you characterize that ░░░░░░░░ the top level and ░░░░░░░░ was the kind of ░░░░░░░░ around the whole thing ░░░░░░░░ JR It began as ░░░░░░░░ clear act of intimidation ░░░░░░░░ began as a clear ░░░░░░░░ of intimidation And when ░░░░░░░░ when things started to ░░░░░░░░ ICE officials were saying ░░░░░░░░ t don t escalate ░░░░░░░░ So I said you ░░░░░░░░ up to engage the ░░░░░░░░ of Newark with 20 ░░░░░░░░ individuals who are masked ░░░░░░░░ of whom were masked ░░░░░░░░ That s what people ░░░░░░░░ every day on streets ░░░░░░░░ the country right Masked ░░░░░░░░ individuals They approached the ░░░░░░░░ Once he was on ░░░░░░░░ other side of the ░░░░░░░░ there was a call ░░░░░░░░ someone and I m ░░░░░░░░ going to assume who ░░░░░░░░ was but that had ░░░░░░░░ of these individuals go ░░░░░░░░ outside the gate to ░░░░░░░░ public side It was ░░░░░░░░ clear act of intimidation ░░░░░░░░ then what happened was ░░░░░░░░ these individuals ICE officers ░░░░░░░░ their hands on two ░░░░░░░░ members of Congress Me ░░░░░░░░ pushed around is fine ░░░░░░░░ don t mind right ░░░░░░░░ what they did to ░░░░░░░░ Watson Coleman and especially ░░░░░░░░ McIver when we crossed ░░░░░░░░ over towards the ICE ░░░░░░░░ towards Delaney Hall after ░░░░░░░░ had arrested the mayor ░░░░░░░░ large ICE official officer ░░░░░░░░ both of his hands ░░░░░░░░ shoved LaMonica So I ░░░░░░░░ let the lawyers come ░░░░░░░░ the determination as to ░░░░░░░░ that act constitutes but ░░░░░░░░ have never seen anything ░░░░░░░░ it in my life ░░░░░░░░ it was not just ░░░░░░░░ but a clear act ░░░░░░░░ intimidation which is what ░░░░░░░░ administration is entirely about.”