Rule of Law

‘None of Us Knows Who Will Be Next,’ Pro-Democracy Coalition Says After McIver Indictment

“Our justice system should not be a tool in Trump’s authoritarian power grabs,” said the Not Above the Law Coalition.

The leaders of a pro-democracy coalition warned Tuesday that the grand jury indictment of Democratic U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver marks a “chilling escalation” of President Donald Trump’s lawless and dangerous efforts to crush his political opponents using the power of the federal government, including the Justice Department and U.S. military.

“Trump has shown time and again that he’ll use the levers of federal power to punish his critics,” said the Not Above the Law coalition, an alliance that includes more than 150 advocacy groups, grassroots organizers, legal scholars, and others.

“Whether it’s deploying the military against protesters in California, arresting a sitting judge in Wisconsin, or prosecuting members of Congress in New Jersey, his actions are designed to silence anyone who stands in his way and undermine checks and balances,” said coalition co-chairs Lisa Gilbert of Public Citizen, Praveen Fernandes of the Constitutional Accountability Center, Kelsey Herbert of MoveOn, and Brett Edkins of Stand Up America.

McIver (D-N.J.) was indicted Tuesday on three counts of “forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers,” charges stemming from her involvement in a May oversight visit at a privately run migrant detention center in Newark, New Jersey and subsequent confrontation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents outside of the facility.

If found guilty, McIver could face up to 17 years in prison.

In a statement following the indictment, McIver said she will be “entering a plea of not guilty” and expressed confidence that “the facts of this case will prove I was simply doing my job and will expose these proceedings for what they are: a brazen attempt at political intimidation.”

“This indictment is no more justified than the original charges, and is an effort by Trump’s administration to dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused and scare me out of doing the work I was elected to do,” said McIver. “But it won’t work—I will not be intimidated.”

The Not Above the Law coalition said Tuesday that the McIver indictment is an ominous signal of what’s to come as Trump wields the military and federal government to quell opposition to his mass deportation agenda and other abuses of power.

“In just the past few days, we have seen Trump target a labor leader representing hardworking Californians and a member of Congress representing her New Jersey constituents,” the alliance said, referring to McIver as well as SEIU California president David Huerta.

Huerta was arrested last Friday at the site of an ICE raid in Los Angeles. The labor leader, who was released from federal custody Monday on a $50,000 bond, was charged with conspiracy to impede an officer, a felony that carries up to six years in prison.

“None of us knows who will be next,” the coalition said Tuesday. “The DOJ should immediately drop these politically motivated, unwarranted charges—our justice system should not be a tool in Trump’s authoritarian power grabs. Congresswoman McIver deserves justice—and so does our democracy.”

More from Rule of Law

Rule of Law
February 25, 2026

Supreme Court not fully sold on foreclosure fairness bid

Courthouse News Service
A showdown over tax foreclosures had the justices considering the striking set of facts that...
Rule of Law
February 25, 2026

CAC Release: Supreme Court Oral Argument Focuses on Takings Clause, While Largely Ignoring the Problematic Excessive-Fines-Clause Analysis Applied by the Court Below

WASHINGTON, DC – Following oral argument at the Supreme Court this morning in Pung v....
By: Miriam Becker-Cohen
Rule of Law
February 24, 2026

50+ Organizations Condemn Federal Authorities for Blocking Minnesota’s Independent Investigation into CBP Killing of Alex Pretti

WASHINGTON, DC — Today marks one month since the killing of Alex Pretti on January...
Rule of Law
February 20, 2026

CAC Release: Supreme Court Rejects President Trump’s Claim of Unilateral Tariff Authority

WASHINGTON, DC – Following today’s decision at the Supreme Court in Learning Resources v. Trump and Trump...
By: Simon Chin
Rule of Law
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

Climate United Fund v. Citibank

In Climate United Fund v. Citibank, the en banc United States of Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is considering whether the Trump administration can unilaterally abolish a mandatory grant program created by Congress.
Rule of Law
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Oregon v. Landis

In Oregon v. Landis, the Ninth Circuit is considering when states may prosecute federal officers for state crimes.