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League of Women Voters Responds to Arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka

Today, the League of Women Voters of the United States and the League of Women Voters of New Jersey released the following joint statement in response to the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka outside an ICE detention facility in New Jersey:

“We are deeply alarmed over the arrest of Mayor Baraka while attempting to investigate the condition and treatment of detainees in his city. Mayor Baraka was joined by Members of Congress, who are lawfully able to visit detention centers. Efforts to expose injustice should never be met with obstruction or criminalization by the government.  

“As a nonpartisan pro-democracy organization, we are deeply alarmed by the ongoing ICE detentions, which fly in the face of due process and human rights. These actions undermine the democratic values of fairness, accountability, and equal treatment under the law.  

“In a democracy, holding institutions accountable should be protected — not punished. The League of Women Voters will continue to defend our country’s principles and speak out when there is executive overreach and whenever people's rights are denied — especially by the government. We believe silence in the face of injustice is not an option. We call on the President to immediately stop these unlawful actions and for Congress to stand up for fellow members of Congress impacted by this event."  

LWV Declares United States in a “Constitutional Crisis,”
Announces New Initiative to Mobilize Voters

Washington, DC — Today, Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters, and Dianna Wynn, president of the League of Women Voters, released the following statement:  

“It has now been 87 days since the start of the Trump administration. From the flagrant disregard for congressional authority and governmental checks and balances to defying Supreme Court orders to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back home, one thing is abundantly clear: our country is in a constitutional crisis. 
 

"We the people must fight back. That is why the League of Women Voters is launching a powerful new initiative, Unite and Rise 8.5. 

"Unite and Rise 8.5 will engage and mobilize 8.5 million voters between now and November 2026 to protect and preserve our democratic institutions. 

"The foundational principles that have sustained our democracy — checks and balances, the rule of law, free and fair elections — are under direct and sustained threat. In this extraordinary moment, we cannot proceed with business as usual. All Americans — no matter who you voted for in 2024 — need to come together, stand united, and fight back to save our democracy. We cannot afford to fail the generations to come.” 

For more information, go to the national LWV site.