Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka has sparked controversy and drawn comparisons to a biblical hero following his arrest at a federal immigration center last week. Addressing supporters at a political rally on Tuesday, Baraka compared his situation to King David’s battle with Goliath, calling it “our David moment.”
Speaking to a crowd of several dozen in his hometown, Baraka argued that his arrest at Delaney Hall, a federal immigration detention center, was a moment of courage and conviction. “Many of us miss our David moment because we [are] trying to run away from confrontation and controversy,” Baraka said. “But your crowd lives in the middle of controversy. The thing that has been promised to you is surrounded by high walls, and the gates are guarded by giants. If you’re running from conflict and controversy, then you’ll never get what’s promised of you. This is our David moment.”
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Baraka defended his actions during a Democrat primary debate for the New Jersey governor’s race the previous evening, insisting his tactics were “absolutely effective.” During Tuesday’s rally, he elaborated on how he felt during the arrest, describing a physical reaction of being unable to move.
“When the congressman came to the gate and was like, ‘Mayor, they said they’re going to arrest you.’ That was a David moment,” Baraka recounted. “I could have gotten in the car and ran. I could have said, ‘I’m getting out of here.’ But I froze. My body froze, like, ‘This is it; you’re supposed to be here. Whatever they going to do, they going to do it.'”
Baraka was arrested last Friday during a protest at Delaney Hall, a privately operated facility recently converted into an immigration detention center. The protest, attended by Baraka and three members of Congress, was aimed at demanding access to the center amid ongoing complaints about detainee conditions.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the incident escalated when the gates opened to admit an ICE bus. Baraka and the three lawmakers reportedly rushed through the gates, bypassing security, which led to their arrest for trespassing.
Baraka’s comments at the rally, however, seemed to frame his arrest as a symbolic act of resistance. In a lighthearted moment, he addressed the crowd “as a returning citizen,” quipping, “Pardon me, ‘formerly incarcerated,'” which was met with laughter.
Baraka acknowledged that he had to check in with authorities after his arrest, describing it humorously: “They told me I got to check in, and they ain’t talking about the hood either. I got to give them all my information, all my family’s information. I mean, I’m making light of it, but it’s real. I got to go to court Thursday.”
Despite his jesting tone, Baraka expressed frustration with the legal process, hinting that the authorities are attempting to silence him through prosecution. “Are these people … serious? They’re really trying to go forward with this and leverage it to make me be quiet.”
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