Laura Flanders and Friends: Solutions-Focused Progressive Perspectives on Politics, News, and Culture "They Targeted Me”: Mayor Ras Baraka on His Arrest, Immigration Rights & Leading New Jersey [full uncut conversation]
“The Department of Justice is suing Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken and Patterson because of their sanctuary city status, erroneously suggesting that we are standing in a way of the ability to do their job, which is completely false . . . We understand the importance of immigrants in our communities, and we want to uphold that.” - Ras Baraka
Description: “They targeted me because I'm the mayor of the city,” says Newark, New Jersey mayor and gubernatorial candidate Ras Baraka. In this tell-all interview with Laura Flanders, the mayor of the state’s largest city discusses his arrest at Delaney Hall, a new private immigration detention facility in Newark, and why he is a staunch opponent of the Republican immigration agenda and Trump’s assertion of federal power. In his tenure as mayor, Baraka has championed progressive programs like guaranteed income, reduced crime and boosted affordable housing. But new challenges lie ahead, as politicians like himself and cities like Newark face retaliation from the Trump administration. Baraka’s charges have been dropped, but the legal battles are far from over. He recently announced a lawsuit against the acting New Jersey District Attorney Alina Habba and DHS Agent Ricky Patel, alleging false arrest, malicious prosecution and defamation. If elected, he would be the first Black governor in New Jersey and only the fourth Black governor elected in the States. If he's not elected, he is still a politician to watch as he insists on advancing forward thinking policy, especially in these tough times. Join us for that conversation, plus a commentary from Laura.
“We have advertised to the rest of the world that we've discovered the best thing since sliced bread. That we should be the envy of the entire world because we have this democracy, and our constitution defends that . . . To renege on that promise makes us a different place than what we taught our kids.” - Ras Baraka
Guest: Ras Baraka, Mayor of Newark, NJ; NJ Gubernatorial Candidate
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Watch the special report released on YouTube June 6th 5pm ET; PBS World Channel June 8th, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast June 11th.
RESOURCES:
Full Episode Notes are located HERE.
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Related Articles and Resources:
• Ras Baraka performing a poem celebrating Sonia Sanchez’s 90th Birthday at the Schomburg Center, September 9, 2024: Watch
• $12K For Free: Newark’s Guaranteed Income Experiment Wrapping Up, by Eric Kiefer, October 17, 2023, Patch.com
•. Newark mayor signs sweeping sanctuary city executive order, June 19, 2017, by Avalon Zoppo, NJ.com
• “Completely Unwarranted”: Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Sues Trump Officials over His Arrest at ICE Jail, June 6, 2025 Democracy Now
• Newark Names One of Nation’s Digital Inclusion Trailblazers, January 28, 2025, City of Newark
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