'Extreme response': 11 Republicans slam Trump admin attorney Alina Habba

Nearly a dozen former Republican members of the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate are now publicly speaking out against the arrest of Rep. Lamonica McIver (D-N.J.) at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.

USA TODAY reported Thursday that the 11 Republicans issued a statement defending McIver, who they argued was simply doing her job as an elected official conducting oversight of a federal facility in her district before she was arrested. They also called on other Republicans to join them in condemning President Donald Trump's administration over its indictment of McIver. Interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, who was Trump's personal attorney for his New York civil cases, charged McIver with two felonies after she was part of a scuffle outside of Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey.

"The constitutional duties of Members of Congress include not only passing legislation but also oversight of executive branch implementation of those laws. That is an essential dimension of American checks and balances," the group said in a joint statement exclusively provided to USA TODAY. "Rep. Mclver was present at the ICE facility as part of her official congressional duties. We believe this extreme response to the events of that day is unwarranted.”

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“This behavior by the Trump administration is outrageous,” former Rep. Claudine Schneider (R-R.I.) told USA TODAY. “Every member of Congress, both past and present, should be speaking up. If not, we will very soon lose our ability to do so.”

The signatories of the statement include former Reps. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), Mickey Edwards (R-Okla.), David Emery (R-Maine), Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.), Denver Riggleman (R-Va.), Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), Peter Smith (R-Vt.), David Trott (R-Mich.) and Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) Former Sen. Gordon Humphrey (R-N.H.) also signed on.

Both McIver and Newark mayor Ras Baraka were arrested outside Delaney Hall, though the Trump administration ultimately dropped its charges against Baraka. Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) were also present at the time of the scuffle that led to McIver's arrest, though they were not charged.

So far, no current House Republicans have spoken out against McIver's arrest. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) introduced a resolution to expel McIver from Congress, though it is not expected to pass.

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