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In a rapidly developing and chaotic situation, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested Friday afternoon – as he other and officials gathered outside of Delaney Hall, which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is using as a detention center.

Baraka, a 2025 gubernatorial candidate on the Democratic side, was outside of the facility, along with congressional members there to conduct an oversight visit, to protest the facility in New Jersey’s largest city.

Social media video that has gone viral Friday afternoon shows the situation tensing up and Baraka being placed under arrest by agents.

“The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon,” interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba wrote on social media. “He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.”

Baraka’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to The Associated Press, Baraka was released from custody about 8 p.m. Friday. The mayor denied trespassing at the detention center, the AP noted.

Please stay with NJBIZ for more on this developing story.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 5:01 p.m. EST May 9, 2025, with a social media post from Gov. Phil Murphy (posts can be found below). Additionally, the story was updated at 7:40 a.m. May 12, 2025, to include more information about the mayor’s release from custody.

What state leaders are posting:

I am outraged by the unjust arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka earlier this afternoon outside of Delaney Hall in Newark.

I am calling for his immediate release by federal law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/BLl7sDHpQK

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) May 9, 2025

As congressional members, we have the power to conduct oversight. That’s what we’re here to do.@RepBonnie @RepMenendez pic.twitter.com/VqfNC56xNi

— Rep. LaMonica McIver (@RepLaMonica) May 9, 2025

We’re at Delaney Hall, an ICE prison in Newark that opened without permission from the city & in violation of local ordinances.

We’ve heard stories of what it’s like in other ICE prisons. We’re exercising our oversight authority to see for ourselves.@RepLaMonica @RepMenendez pic.twitter.com/OIJuePH2XS

— Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (@RepBonnie) May 9, 2025