The White House is pushing back against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who has filed a lawsuit against interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, accusing her of false arrest and malicious prosecution over his May 9 arrest outside an ICE facility. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in New Jersey, seeks damages for what Baraka’s lawyers described as his ‘false arrest and malicious prosecution’ and the allegedly defamatory remarks Habba made about his case, including on social media.
Baraka, who is one of the leading Democratic candidates for New Jersey governor, was arrested during a protest outside the Delaney Hall detention center, near Newark Liberty International Airport, after being accused of trespassing and ignoring warnings from law enforcement officials to leave. He was held in custody for several hours before being released. The U.S. attorney’s office said that 13 days after bringing charges against Baraka, it was dismissing the case for the sake of moving forward.
Baraka’s attorneys accused Habba of acting as ‘a political operative, outside of any function intimately related to the judicial process, and in her individual personal capacity.’ The lawsuit also claims that Habba made defamatory remarks about Baraka’s case, which Baraka’s team is seeking damages for. The White House called the lawsuit a ‘meritless lawsuit’ and a ‘desperate attempt’ to stay relevant, as stated by Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman.
In response, Habba dismissed Baraka’s lawsuit and mocked it as ‘shocking.’ She advised Baraka to ‘feel free to join me in prioritizing violent crime and public safety,’ which she stated would be a ‘far better use of time for the great citizens of New Jersey.’
Baraka’s team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, but the case has drawn significant attention from both political factions, with the U.S. attorney’s office’s decision to dismiss the charges against Baraka adding to the controversy. The White House’s criticism underscores the growing tensions within the Democratic Party over immigration policies and the use of legal action as a political tool.