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Dem mayor arrested for trespassing at ICE facility floated as pick for state’s No 2 office
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Despite losing his bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination last week, progressive Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was recently arrested outside an ICE facility during a protest, is likely not finished in New Jersey politics, according to political strategists from both sides of the aisle.
According to a New Jersey political insider, Baraka is likely to even be tapped by the now-Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mikie Sherrill for the lieutenant governor role, the No. 2 spot in the state.
Mayor of Newark since 2014, Baraka has garnered a reputation as a progressive. It was his arrest outside an ICE detention facility in Newark on May 9, however, that propelled him to the national stage.
Baraka filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba this month, accusing her of «false arrest and malicious prosecution» in connection with the incident.
WHO IS THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING AT AN ICE DETENTION CENTER?
Left: Newark Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka speaks outside the Delaney Hall ICE facility during a protest. Right: Security personnel stand in front of Delaney Hall, a recently reopened immigration detention center, in Newark, N.J., May 7, 2025. (Getty Images | AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
He was one of several public officials, including Democratic Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver and Bonnie Watson Coleman, who allegedly rushed past security through the gates of the facility with a group of protesters, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security.
The U.S. attorney’s office has since dismissed the case against Baraka «for the sake of moving forward.»
Kenny Gonzalez, executive director of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, told Fox News Digital that «the day that his arrest happened, [Baraka] really did become a hero of New Jersey’s Democrat Party.»
Baraka’s campaign took full advantage of the moment, even beginning to send fundraising messages to supporters while he was still incarcerated, according to Politico.
Politico reporter Matt Friedman posted a screenshot of a text message from Baraka’s campaign that reads in all caps «RAS BARAKA HAS BEEN ARRESTED» and «Ras was at Delaney Hall today demanding entry into the ICE detention center where Trump and MAGA extremists are illegally detaining people.»
The message went on to say, «Ras is ready to do whatever it takes to stop Trump and protect New Jerseyans from his extreme agenda. We need you with us now more than ever. Donate now.»
ICE BREAKOUT IN NEW JERSEY SYMPTOM OF DEMOCRATIC ‘CHAOS’ ACROSS THE COUNTRY, LOCAL GOP LEADER SAYS
Members of Congress at an ICE detention facility in New Jersey (X/@RepBonnie)
Gonzalez explained that «almost every Democrat elected official, including all of his primary opponents for governor, came out against what had happened, calling it some sort of injustice and saying that it was wrong.»
«I do believe that we were correct in predicting that this stunt would actually boost him, and it really did,» said Gonzalez.
He said that though early polling had Baraka in a distant third place, the Newark mayor’s performance, coming in second with 20.6% of the vote, «was really the big news of the night.»
«Mikie Sherrill spent millions and millions more dollars than he did. So it’s no surprise that she emerged as the primary winner. But Ras Baraka was a distant third place, and he came in second,» said Gonzalez. «So the stunt definitely boosted him, and I think to this day he remains very, very popular among the Democrat Party.»
HOMELAND SECURITY REVEALS IDENTITIES OF THE 4 ‘PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS’ WHO ESCAPED NEWARK ICE FACILITY
Rep. Mikie Sherrill (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)
«I wouldn’t be surprised if Mikie Sherrill picks Ras Baraka to be her lieutenant governor candidate,» he said.
«He put up a formidable performance, and he’s an African-American politician who has very deep ties to many urban communities,» he went on. «Mikie Sherrill couldn’t even win her own home county. So I think she should probably pick somebody who did.»
Gonzalez is optimistic that Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, can flip the New Jersey governorship back red.
«What Ras Baraka did was he failed to fulfill his responsibility as mayor of Newark … he put illegal immigrants over Newark citizens,» he said. «There are so many other issues that New Jerseyans face, such as high property taxes, unsafe neighborhoods, a school funding formula that hasn’t worked in many years. So I believe that commonsense voters think that Ras Baraka should have focused his campaign a little bit more on that.»
US ATTORNEY ALINA HABBA ANNOUNCES REP MCIVER HIT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES OVER NEWARK ICE CLASH
Jack Ciattarelli (Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Kevin Hagan, a New Jersey Democratic political strategist and advisor, told Fox News Digital that «Baraka certainly created a campaign that not only gained attention but earned an impressive result of votes on Election Day.»
Hagan credited Baraka’s success not to the Delaney Hall protest and arrest but to «his willingness to take on President Trump and his policies but also bring to the forefront issues important to the Democratic Party on education, affordability and quality of life in the state.»
Hagan said that based on how well Baraka ran his campaign, he should «certainly» at least «be considered as a potential candidate.»
«But what’s important now is the Sherrill campaign and the congresswoman deciding on who is best to be her partner, to see the campaign’s way to victory in November, but more importantly, a partner to govern in January,» he said.
TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT, BUT PRESIDENT FRONT AND CENTER IN NEW JERSEY’S PRIMARY FOR GOVERNOR
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On whether Democrats will be able to pull off a win in November, Hagan pointed out that over the last 32 years, New Jersey has been governed for 16 years by a Democrat and 16 years by a Republican.
«So, from a partisan perspective,» he said, «Democrats can take nothing for granted in their effort to maintain control of the governor’s office.»
INTERNACIONAL
Tensión Estados Unidos-Colombia: Donald Trump ahora dice que Gustavo Petro es un «matón» y un «mal tipo» que fabrica «muchas drogas»
El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, aseguró este miércoles que su homólogo colombiano, Gustavo Petro, es un «matón y un mal tipo» y lo acusó de fabricar «muchas drogas», días después de imputarle ser un «líder del narcotráfico».
«Es un matón y un mal tipo. Es un tipo que fabrica muchas drogas», declaró Trump a los reporteros en el Despacho Oval. «Ha hecho mucho daño a su país. Les está yendo muy mal».
El mandatario estadounidense se refirió al colombiano días después de anunciar el fin de la ayuda financiera a Colombia por su inacción en la lucha contra el narcotráfico y señalar a Petro como un «líder del narcotráfico».
«Tienen fábricas de cocaína. Cultivan todo tipo de porquerías y las drogas malas que entran en Estados Unidos generalmente pasan por México, y más le vale tener cuidado y tomar medidas muy serias contra él y su país», añadió Trump.
El magnate republicano aseguró que lo que Petro le «ha hecho a su país es una trampa mortal».
Estas declaraciones y el anuncio del fin de las ayudas se producen en medio de la escalada de las tensiones entre Bogotá y Washington por la guerra que EE.UU. ha declarado contra el narcotráfico.
Video
Dos muertos tras el ataque de EE.UU. contra otro supuesto barco con drogas.
La presencia de navíos y aeronaves militares estadounidenses en aguas del mar caribe han provocado el rechazo de gobiernos como el colombiano y el venezolana, elevando aún más las tensiones con Trump.
Este miércoles, el Pentágono anunció un nuevo ataque contra una supuesta narcolancha, esta vez en aguas del Pacífico frente a Colombia.
El lunes, Colombia llamó a consultas a su embajador en Washington y denunció una amenaza de invasión por parte de Estados Unidos luego del anuncio de Donald Trump de que retirará la ayuda financiera a Bogotá por «fomentar» la producción de drogas.
El ministro del Interior de Colombia, Armando Benedetti, denunció una «amenaza» de «invasión» de Trump, quien pareció sugerir algún tipo de intervención de Washington contra la producción de droga en el país sudamericano.
Trump detuvo el domingo el apoyo económico a Bogotá por supuestamente «fomentar» el narcotráfico y afirmó que debería «cerrar» los narcocultivos de «inmediato, o Estados Unidos se los cerrará».
La relación entre ambos países, que históricamente fueron aliados, entró en su peor momento con la llegada de Trump a la Casa Blanca mientras en Colombia gobierna el primer presidente izquierdista de su historia. Esa mala tensión creció en el último mes.
El primer episodio ocurrió a fines de septiembre en Nueva York, cuando el presidente Gustavo Petro -que había viajado a Estados Unidos para asistir a la Asamblea General de Naciones Unidas- participó de una manifestación por Gaza que se llevó a cabo en esa ciudad en la que instó a los soldados norteamericanos a desobedecer al líder de la Casa Blanca.
Como consecuencia de esa participación, Washington decidió revocarle el visado de ingreso al país, acusándolo de «actos temerarios e incendiarios» durante la protesta.
Las tensiones se agudizaron por el despliegue militar de Estados Unidos en aguas del Caribe. Petro ha denunciado que los ataques letales contra embarcaciones acusadas de transportar drogas son desproporcionados y constituyen un “asesinato”.
Con una publicación en redes sociales, el presidente estadounidense tildó a su par colombiano de “capo de las drogas” que tiene «bajos índices de aprobación y es muy impopular». Y le advirtió además que “más le vale” frenar operaciones del narcotráfico «o Estados Unidos las cerrará por él, y no lo hará de manera amable».
Petro, quien puede ser tan expresivo en redes sociales como su homólogo estadounidense, rechazó las acusaciones de Trump y defendió su trabajo para combatir el narcotráfico en Colombia, el mayor exportador mundial de cocaína.
“Tratar de impulsar la paz de Colombia no es ser narcotraficante”, escribió Petro. Insinuó que Trump estaba siendo engañado por sus asesores y dijo que Trump estaba siendo “grosero e ignorante con Colombia”.
INTERNACIONAL
Expert warns critical hours slipping away as kidnappers likely to move US missionary in Niger
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A security expert told Fox News Digital the first 48 hours are critical in the search for an American Christian missionary kidnapped in the West African nation of Niger, who may have already been moved between Islamic State-controlled areas where an ISIS offshoot operates.
Bryan Stern, founder of the crisis response group Grey Bull Rescue, said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital that in most organized kidnappings, those who seize a hostage are rarely the same people who hold them.
«What happens in most of these cases is whoever took the hostage isn’t who’s holding on to the hostage,» Stern said. «The people who hold hostages generally are a lot smarter, a lot more capable, less disposable… so getting to them as soon as possible does matter in a very demonstrable way.»
Stern said every passing hour reduces the chance of recovery. In many cases, hostages are quickly traded or sold between groups with differing motives — from ransom to propaganda — making it difficult to know what the captors want.
AMERICAN MISSIONARY KIDNAPPED IN NIGER BY SUSPECTED ISLAMIST MILITANTS, SOURCES SAY
This picture taken on Sept. 7, 2023, shows Niger’s presidential palace in Niamey. The building has remained under the control of the military junta since President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted in a 2023 coup. (AFP via Getty Images)
«It’s easy to understand who took somebody, but once people start getting traded around like cards and stuff, it’s hard to then understand what the current holding party wants,» he said.
The groups often operate with their own chain of command and pecking order, each with different goals and levels of influence.
«All those different things play into how you’re gonna get somebody back, and the most dangerous thing to do is send ninjas in and shoot everybody,» Stern said. «That’s the most highest-risk thing that we do because there’s no margin for error.»
I WAS KIDNAPPED BY BOKO HARAM, AND SURVIVED. NO THANKS TO THE WEST’S SILENCE
Niger’s junta leader Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani salutes during an official ceremony in Niamey, Niger, on Aug. 26, 2023. Tchiani seized power in a July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and has ruled the West African nation since. (AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. officials confirmed they are aware of the kidnapping, which took place in Niamey, about 100 yards from Niger’s presidential palace. The missionary, a pilot for the evangelical group Serving in Mission, was reportedly taken north toward an area controlled by an ISIS offshoot.
A State Department spokesperson said embassy officials are working closely with local authorities and that the Trump administration views the safe return of the U.S. citizen as a top priority. The U.S. Embassy has also restricted staff movements to armored vehicles and prohibited visits to restaurants and open-air markets.
Stern described the region as «31 flavors,» meaning there is everything from Russian proxies to criminal gangs and Islamic fundamentalists running around.
CRUZ CLASHES WITH NIGERIA OVER HIS CLAIMS 50,000 CHRISTIANS KILLED SINCE 2009 IN RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE
A general view of a crowded street market in Niamey, Niger, on May 17, 2023. The capital city has faced rising instability since the 2023 military coup that toppled President Mohamed Bazoum. (Michele Cattani / AFP via Getty Images)
While it’s easy to assume Islamist militants were behind the abduction, Stern cautioned, «until you know…it becomes speculation.»
«At some point, somebody will ask for something, you hope,» he said. «It’s very scary when they don’t ask for anything… the worst case scenario is a hostage taken by someone who doesn’t want anything. Then there’s no play to be made other than find them and kill them, and hopefully you survive that process.»
For now, the focus is on finding proof of life and establishing communication.
U.S. special operations units are likely monitoring surveillance and communications from the region, but Stern cautioned that a rescue attempt would be «the most dangerous thing special operations does.»
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Officials have not said whether any group has claimed responsibility or issued any demands.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Paul Tilsley contributed to this report.
africa,missing persons,terrorism,isis
INTERNACIONAL
Merkley nearly breaks Booker’s filibuster record, wins his praise for fighting ‘Trump’s authoritarian tactics’
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Democrats pulled out all the stops on Wednesday to delay the vote on a short-term spending bill to reopen the government — the 12th time the Senate has considered the measure since the government entered a shutdown on Oct. 1.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., embarked on a nearly 24-hour speech at 6:23 p.m. on Tuesday, concluding his remarks at 5:00 p.m. the next day. Merkley, 68, warned viewers of the authoritarianism he said had become a facet of the Trump administration.
«Be aware and worried about the possibility of the use of an emergency in order to expand authoritarian power. That’s the position we’re in now in the United States of America. Authoritarianism with a rubber-stamp Congress, a court that’s delivering more and more power to the executive and an executive who has a well-planned strategy,» Merkley said in his remarks.
JOHNSON WARNS US ‘BARRELING TOWARD ONE OF THE LONGEST SHUTDOWNS’ IN HISTORY
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., speaks to reporters following a weekly Senate Democratic policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Feb. 19, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
«Republicans have shut down the government to continue the strategy of slashing Americans’ healthcare,» he said.
His speech comes as lawmakers remain gridlocked over federal funding for 2026. Whereas Republicans in the House of Representatives have passed a short-term funding bill to keep the government open through Nov. 21, Democrats in the Senate have voted a dozen times to defeat the package.
The Senate once again failed to advance the package on Wednesday. It failed in a 54-46 vote.
Democrats, led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., have demanded an extension of COVID-era supplemental funding for Obamacare healthcare subsidies that are set to sunset in 2025.
SCREAMING MATCH ERUPTS BETWEEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES, MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., right, update reporters following their face-to-face meeting with President Donald Trump and Republican leaders on the government funding crisis, at the Capitol in Washington, Sept. 29, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
Republicans need the support of seven Democrats to overcome the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster. The GOP holds 53 seats in the chamber.
Merkley, who came close to breaking Sen. Cory Booker’s 25-hour and 4-minute record that was set earlier this year, put the shutdown blame on Republicans throughout his discourse.
Booker praised Merkley’s stalling efforts online.
«Listening to Senator Jeff Merkley for over 22 hours, it is clear that we need to stand up for our democracy. We must continue to call out and counter Trump’s authoritarian tactics. Thank you, Jeff!» Booker said in a post on X.
BOOKER CONCLUDES RECORD 25-HOUR SPEECH AGAINST TRUMP, MUSK, MARKING THE LONGEST EVER ON THE SENATE FLOOR
On the issue of authoritarianism, which comprised the bulk of Merkley’s remarks, Merkley decried what he saw as the Trump administration’s attempts to push the limits on executive power — like its deployment of the National Guard to urban areas.
«If you remove a clear standard as to whether there is a rebellion and just say a president can deploy the military on a whim in places he doesn’t like against peaceful protesters to distract Americans or to exercise a suppression of dissent, then you have flung the doors open to tyranny. To a strongman state,» Merkley said.
National Guard members began patrolling Memphis in October as part of a federal task force established by President Donald Trump to combat what the administration says is violent crime in the city. (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
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President Donald Trump has deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Memphis, and Portland, Oregon, citing a need to protect law enforcement and government operations in those cities.
politics,congress,senate
Tensión Estados Unidos-Colombia: Donald Trump ahora dice que Gustavo Petro es un «matón» y un «mal tipo» que fabrica «muchas drogas»
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Expert warns critical hours slipping away as kidnappers likely to move US missionary in Niger
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