This whole thing feels like déjà vu. We went through this exact same crap in the 80s farm crisis: overproduction, farmers drowning in debt, government policies that completely missed the mark. Watching it play out again is honestly pretty depressing. Like, we literally watched this movie before and still decided to hit rewind? Really hoping this doesn’t end the same way, but the similarities are there.
Yes, he was freed, but it’s still a significant event when a candidate for governor and a sitting mayor are detained outside of a federal detention center. Baraka was trying to join members of Congress for an oversight visit, and even though he didn’t enter the facility, DHS still had him arrested. The weird part is that video shows him on the public side of the gate when ICE agents came out and cuffed him. DHS says one thing, the video shows another, and eyewitnesses back up Baraka’s version. It is not just about how long they held him, it is about why they arrested him in the first place.
Thanks for the comment, and it is totally fair to question a newer site like FlyEmu. Everything we post is based on public records and confirmed facts and we always link back to mainstream sources in the articles. We’re working on connecting local events to the bigger picture. And yeah, good catch on the subject being a repost. We’ll aim to bring a fresher material or at least a different angle in the future.
Where the state has been was right alongside Mayor Baraka trying to block these detention centers. Governor Murphy signed a law 4 years ago banning private immigration facilities in NJ and his administration is still fighting to defend that law in court. When Baraka got arrested, Murphy immediately called it “an unjust arrest”: https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562025/approved/20250509a.shtml
AG Matt Platkin said the arrest violated democratic principles and civil rights: https://www.njoag.gov/statement-of-attorney-general-matthew-j-platkin-on-the-arrest-of-newark-mayor-ras-baraka/ Senator Andy Kim said it was “shocking” and demanded Baraka be released: https://newjerseyglobe.com/campaigns/key-n-j-officials-comment-on-baraka-arrest-at-detention-center-protest/
The state’s been consistent that they don’t want these private detention facilities operating in NJ, period. Newark was literally suing the facility for operating without proper permits: https://newjerseymonitor.com/2025/04/10/newark-lawsuit-aims-to-cripple-immigrant-enforcement-prison-company-alleges/
Now we see what happens when officials actually try to enforce that. The fact that Baraka was arrested outside the gates just shows how aggressive these facilities are getting with anyone who challenges their operations.
This is exactly why people don’t trust the system. No warrant shown, no explanation given, a terrified child cuffed and dragged away for reacting like any human being would. Local police claim they don’t assist ICE, but when it counts, they show up to protect federal agents instead of their own community. This wasn’t law enforcement, it was a disappearance in broad daylight, and everyone there knew it.
So Baraka was just doing his job with 3 Congress members for oversight, and they arrest them outside the gate? And now DHS is throwing around threats for more arrests? That’s not law enforcement, that’s straight up retaliation. Newark’s already suing this place for operating illegally, and this is how ICE responds? By going after the officials trying to hold them accountable? Come on. At least Murphy, Platkin, and Kim are calling this out for what it is. The state literally banned these private jails, and shit like this is exactly why.