Baraka has clashed with federal immigration officials ever since the detention facility, privately owned by the GEO Group, opened. Friday’s arrest was a culmination of the back-and-forth, with Newark officials repeating that the owner has not cooperated with local code inspectors.

American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey Executive Director Amol Sinha, in a statement sent to Newsweek via email on Friday: "The arrest of Mayor Ras Baraka by the Department of Homeland Security is a shameful escalation of the Trump administration's intimidation campaign against officials who refuse to do their bidding."