You may have already seen the news, John. On Friday, ICE agents arrested Newark Mayor and WFP-endorsed candidate for NJ Governor Ras Baraka, while he was visiting a newly re-opened detention center — a visit that was entirely within his rights and oversight responsibilities.
But it didn’t stop there.
Alongside him were members of Congress — Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rep. Rob Menendez Jr., and Rep. LaMonica McIver — who were shoved, manhandled, and physically confronted by ICE agents. They weren’t arrested on the spot, but they’re now facing threats of arrest simply for being there.
Let that sink in, John: A sitting mayor, arrested. Members of Congress, assaulted and threatened by federal agents. All for demanding transparency from an agency that operates behind closed doors.
This is how authoritarianism takes hold — when elected leaders are punished for doing their jobs, and federal agents are used to intimidate anyone who dares stand up for the people. This wasn’t just an attack on Mayor Baraka and three members of Congress. It was an attack on our democracy.
Tonight at 5:00 PM ET, join an emergency mass call with Rep. Rob Menendez Jr., Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rep. LaMonica McIver, and Mayor Ras Baraka himself. They’ll break down what happened, what it means, and how we can fight back.
RSVP now »
This call is open to anyone who refuses to accept this kind of intimidation as the new normal.
Bring your friends, your family, your community.
We need to show up, speak out, and organize — before it’s too late.
In solidarity,
Working Families Party
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