Several posts on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, made by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) referencing a May incident at the Delaney Hall immigrant detention center in Newark, New Jersey, in which U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver was charged with assaulting federal immigration officers, have been removed following a court order from Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Jamel Semper.Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) was charged in May after an altercation during a congressional visit to the Delaney Hall immigrant detention center. The charges allege that she assaulted federal immigration officers while conducting what she described as oversight duties. McIver has pleaded not guilty, and if convicted, she could face up to 17 years in prison — a staggering potential sentence that underscores the seriousness of the allegations.
McIver’s legal team has argued that the charges violate the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause, claiming the case is politically motivated. Yet, video evidence showed her physically pushing and striking a federal ICE agent, adding complexity to her defense and fueling public debate.
Following the May incident, the DHS issued several statements and social media posts sharply criticizing McIver and other Democratic lawmakers who visited Delaney Hall that day. These statements characterized the lawmakers’ actions as reckless and unsafe, sparking controversy over whether a government agency could publicly comment on an ongoing case involving a sitting member of Congress.
In response, McIver’s attorneys filed a motion to prohibit the government from making what they described as “extrajudicial statements” that could prejudice ongoing legal proceedings. According to the New Jersey Globe, the motion cited eight posts on X and one official press release as examples. Newsweek reported that the legal filing emphasized the risk that such statements could shape public perception before the case was fully adjudicated.
