By Sama Marwan ,
The Washington Post reported that an increasing number of Democratic officials are being arrested in tense encounters with federal agents over immigration in the United States — a development that is boosting their standing within a party that remains angry with former President Donald Trump’s policies.
Images have circulated online in recent weeks showing Democratic officials in handcuffs, clashing with immigration officers or defiantly standing on courthouse steps, creating new political fault lines as the country moves into Trump’s second term.
Brad Lander, New York City Comptroller and a mayoral candidate, was the latest elected Democrat to be arrested after attempting to accompany a defendant during an immigration court appearance this week.
While many Democrats argue that these repeated confrontations highlight the strictness of Trump’s immigration enforcement, party lawmakers and strategists also say they demonstrate how leaders are responding to a Democratic electorate demanding bold resistance — beyond just speeches and formal statements.
Representative LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), who was charged last month with assaulting two federal agents during a scuffle outside an immigration detention center, stated in an interview:
“In this moment, we need to have political courage. If we let things spiral and allow this president to proceed unchecked, we will end up in a country we no longer recognize.”
However, some within the party are uneasy about these confrontations, pointing out that politically, such tactics may backfire, especially in matters of immigration and law enforcement, where Republicans tend to have the upper hand.
Commenting on the altercation that led to charges against McIver, Representative Jared Golden (D-Maine) told Axios this week:
“Where I come from, if you push a police officer, you’re probably getting arrested.”
McIver has denied any wrongdoing.
According to the Post, since the May 9 clashes in New Jersey, at least three other elected Democratic officials and a judge have been detained, arrested, or charged for allegedly interfering with Trump’s mass deportation efforts.
As more of them find themselves — and sometimes deliberately place themselves — in confrontations with federal agents, party leaders are navigating the volatile politics of a more confrontational dynamic with a president they have denounced as a tyrant.
