AFT’s Weingarten, AAUP’s Wolfson and NJ Union Leaders Respond to Newark Mayor’s Arrest

WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten, American Association of University Professors President Todd Wolfson, a Rutgers University associate professor, and AFT leaders in New Jersey are raising alarms about the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.

The mayor, a former Newark Teachers Union member, was taken into custody by federal officials today while he and three members of Congress investigated a facility where a private contractor began holding detainees for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on May 1.

“Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested while trying to do his job: ensuring a building in an industrial area that a private ICE contractor is now using as a detention facility was safe and sanitary,” Weingarten said. “And there was reason for concern. The facility reportedly had not been fully inspected, and fire and code enforcement officials have been blocked from entering.

“Instead of listening to Mayor Baraka and the three members of Congress who accompanied him, federal officials arrested him.

“He was not trespassing. He was doing his job. This is an outrageous abuse of power and a violation of the separation of powers.

“Arresting a mayor for doing his job should never be allowed in this country. We stand firmly with Mayor Baraka and his right to do his job. The Trump administration’s actions are an abuse of all we believe in America.”

Wolfson said, “The arrest of Mayor Baraka for nothing more than carrying out his duties to the citizens of Newark is yet another outrage perpetrated by a lawless administration. They think they can silence all opposition with their bullying and threats, but they clearly don’t know Ras Baraka. In a matter of hours, our members in New Jersey mobilized to protest his arrest, and we will stand with him against the Trump administration’s cruel persecution of the most vulnerable people in our society.”

AFT New Jersey President Jennifer Higgins said, “Today the federal government clearly and unquestionably demonstrated that they no longer respect the rights of state and local governments. Mayor Baraka was simply doing his job, to ensure that those detained in his city are safe and being properly treated according to local, state and federal laws. We stand in solidarity with Mayor Baraka and all those who seek justice.”

Newark Teachers Union President John Abeigon said, “This is the good trouble our mayor was raised to get himself into. We stand in solidarity and commit to petitioning the attorney general’s office and the Essex County courts for his immediate release. This is unacceptable.”