LaMonica McIver

LaMonica R. McIver (born June 20, 1986) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2024. A member of the Democratic Party, she served on the Newark municipal council from 2018 to 2024. McIver was first elected to Congress in a September 2024 special election to succeed Donald Payne Jr. in Congress, who died in office in April.

McIver was one of a number of politicians who attempted a legal Congressional oversight visit to a Newark ICE detention facility in 2025. McIver was indicted by a grand jury for "forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers" during the visit, which carries a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison. She has disputed the charges, claiming that they are political in nature. the oldest of four children. She grew up in the city's Central Ward, and graduated from Central High School in 2004. Her mother struggled with substance abuse as McIver was growing up. She co-founded a non-profit, Newark G.A.L.S., to foster leadership in young women and girls, and was active with another Newark non-profit, the Believe in Newark Foundation. She is married, and she and her husband have a daughter.

Ras Baraka was her fifth grade teacher, and McIver first developed an interest in politics while handing out flyers to support his campaign for city council. The New York Times described Baraka as playing "a key role in shepherding her career". and became its president in 2022. She resigned from the council presidency in 2024 (while remaining a council member) to focus on her congressional campaign.

U.S. House of Representatives Election Following the death of Donald Payne Jr., who represented in the United States House of Representatives, in April 2024, McIver announced her candidacy in the special election to fill the seat in May. She won the Democratic Party primary election in July and won the general election in September. She was sworn in on September 23, 2024. She won her first full term in the November 5, 2024, general election.

Newark immigration detention center incident

On May 9, 2025, McIver performed an oversight visit at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Newark, along with two other Democratic representatives from New Jersey, Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who arrived a half hour later, was invited onto the property, where he waited for the congressional delegation. He was later asked to leave, which he did, and he was then arrested for trespassing, though the charges were subsequently dropped. McIver and others attempted to protect Baraka from arrest. On May 19, 2025, interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba announced that McIver had been charged with assaulting, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement in connection with the incident. The complaint said she slammed her forearm into the body of a federal agent, grabbed an agent to restrain him and pushed an ICE officer and used her forearms to strike him. In a statement released on the same day, McIver said, of the charges, that "they mischaracterize and distort [her] actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight." On May 20, 2025, McIver stated that she rejected a plea deal from the United States Department of Justice. On June 10, McIver was indicted by federal prosecutors led by Habba for her actions at the Newark immigration center. At her arraignment hearing, McIver pleaded not guilty, and Judge Jamel Semper set a trial date of November 10.

On February 4, 2026, McIver expressed her support for abolishing ICE in a CNN interview.

Caucus memberships Congressional Progressive Caucus Future Forum

Electoral history