House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 19, 2025. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

House Democratic leadership promised Monday to “respond vigorously” after the Justice Department charged Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) for allegedly assaulting a law enforcement officer.

Why it matters: Democrats are accusing the Trump administration of pursuing a purely political prosecution, arguing that the charges against McIver are baseless.

• The charges center on a scuffle between McIver, Reps. Rob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), and ICE officers outside the Delany Hall detention facility in Newark.
• McIver has alleged she was the one assaulted by ICE officers as they arrested Newark Mayor Ras Baraka for trespassing while protesting the facility’s use as a migrant detention center.

What they’re saying: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and members of his leadership team blasted the charges as “extreme, morally bankrupt and lack[ing] any basis in law or fact” in a joint statement.

• “There is no credible evidence that Rep. McIver engaged in any criminal activity, and she would not have been permitted to tour the facility had she done anything wrong,” they said.
• The Democratic lawmakers vowed to “respond vigorously in the days to come at a time, place and manner of our choosing.”
• “Everyone responsible for this illegitimate abuse of power is going to be held accountable for their actions,” they added.

Zoom in: The charges have been roundly condemned by leaders of various House Democratic factions — while Republicans have been largely muted.

• Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) said his members will “pursue every legal and congressional avenue to defend the right of elected representatives to uphold the law.”
• Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), the chair of the center-left New Democrat Coalition, said his group “will not back down, and we refuse to be silenced.”