Newark's Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested late last week after he was alleged to have criminally trespassed at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.

Baraka was quickly embraced by other Democrats, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. However, a government official has warned that Ocasio-Cortez will face arrest should she engage in similar behavior.

DHS official says criminal charges are "certainly on the table"

According to the Daily Caller, that warning was issued by Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin during a Monday appearance on Fox Business' "The Bottom Line."

"If she trespasses and if she assaults law enforcement officers, as we saw earlier, I think that’s certainly on the table," McLaughlin was quoted as saying.

"As far as we’ve heard, a lot of Democrats make the argument that they’re just conducting oversight, congressional oversight," she continued.

"We know that’s baloney because had they asked us, had they requested a tour, David, we would have happily facilitated that for them as well," McLaughlin insisted.

McLaughlin: "We’re not playing with the safety of our law enforcement officers"

"There are public guidelines that we have offered, including that they need to notify us 24 hours in advance if they would like a tour of the facility," she stressed.

"So, again, this is all political gamesmanship, and we’re not playing with the safety of our law enforcement officers," the Homeland Security official went on to add.

The Daily Caller noted that Baraka's arrest came after he tried to accompany a group of lawmakers into the House facility.

We will not tolerate assault against our ICE law enforcement agents. By members of Congress or anyone else. pic.twitter.com/P1AIV2DXap

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) May 10, 2025

McLaughlin also posted a video clip of last Friday's chaotic incident to social media which appeared to show New Jersey Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman striking a law enforcement officer.

Acting U.S. attorney calls out Baraka by name in social media post

Meanwhile, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba put up a social media post of her own in which she singled out Baraka.

Habba accused the Newark mayor of having "committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon."

Habba further asserted that Baraka had "willingly chosen to disregard the law," something which "will not stand in this state."