Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Department of Homeland Security agent Ricky Patel, alleging false arrest, malicious prosecution, and defamation. The suit follows Baraka’s May 9 arrest at a DHS facility in New Jersey, where he and other lawmakers were accused of trespassing.
Baraka’s suit claims he complied peacefully with law enforcement and was invited to the property. He says Habba falsely accused him of “disregarding the law” in a widely shared X post also posted from her official account. Charges against Baraka were dropped less than two weeks later.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Andre Espinosa criticized the handling of the case, calling the arrest a “worrying misstep” and cautioning against using arrests as “preliminary investigative tools.”
Habba responded on X, calling the lawsuit a distraction and urging Baraka to focus on violent crime in Newark instead.
Baraka is seeking punitive damages in the suit filed in federal court.
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