Facing 17 years in prison, Rep. McIver says Trump’s ‘woke’ attack on her reveals deeper bias: ‘I’m their target’

“They want to use someone as the target. And right now, I’m their target,” McIver told theGrio after pleading not guilty to a three-count indictment in New Jersey that carries a jail sentence of up to 17 years.

U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., is undeterred after pleading not guilty in a federal prosecution brought by the Trump administration.

“The facts are on my side…I have no doubt that I will be victorious,” McIver told theGrio shortly after leaving a New Jersey courthouse where she was arraigned for her three-count indictment, for which she is accused of “forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers.”

McIver faces up to 17 years in prison for a May altercation outside of a Newark ICE detention facility, where she and two other members of Congress were joined by Mayor Ras Baraka for an oversight visit to review the conditions of undocumented individuals being detained.

The encounter with federal agents was chaotic, as McIver attempted to shield Baraka from being arrested for trespassing. Baraka’s charges were ultimately dropped, and the judge overseeing the case scolded the U.S. Attorney of New Jersey, Alina Habba, for bringing the “hasty” and “embarrassing” prosecution.

However, McIver, a 39-year-old freshman congresswoman, was ultimately still charged in a historically rare criminal case for a sitting member of Congress. While she is confident that she will walk away free, McIver is equally sure that the prosecution against her is political and racial.

“Me being the one person picked out to be charged, definitely speaks to me being a young Black woman, and basically speaking up and speaking out about what they were doing and how they treated us,” McIver told theGrio.

She continued, “I think they want to prove a point. They want to use someone as the target. And right now, I’m their target.”

The congresswoman dismissed her prosecution as an “intimidation tactic” to “humiliate” her. She argued the same fate has hit other elected officials, like U.S. Senator Alex Padilla of California, who was forcibly pushed to the ground and handcuffed by federal agents after he interrupted a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in protest of the Trump administration’s immigration raids and subsequent military deployment in Los Angeles.

McIver says the racial undertones of her case are clear, recalling President Donald Trump’s remarks on May 20 when a reporter asked Trump about her prosecution.

“Did you see her? She was out of control. The days of woke are over,” said Trump, who also repeated his vow to restore “law and order” in the country.

The congresswoman read between the lines of what the president really meant.

“Woke basically means being Black and being aware, in his terminology,” she said. “That’s why I’m being charged.”

McIver explained, “When my colleagues use that language, and when Donald Trump uses that language, I always say the opposite of being woke is sleep–you prefer us to be sleep and not speak out against what’s happening and the things that are not right on behalf of our constituents?”

Ultimately, McIver said her “trumped up charges” mark a “sad time for America.” And while she is not concerned about being found guilty in her case, she told theGrio she “feels” for her 9-year-old daughter and husband, who are “very worried.”

“I did not ever think I would be coming into Congress to face charges and up to 17 years in prison,” said McIver as she was rushing back to Washington, D.C., to continue her legislative work on Capitol Hill. “But in this moment of time that we’re in, we have to find our political courage.”

She added, “We should continue to hold this administration accountable. We should continue to advocate for the people who have elected us to do, and that’s what I’m doing, and nothing’s going to stop me from doing that.”

McIver called Trump and his administration “cruel people,” pointing to several actions that have been proposed or taken place since Trump was sworn into office earlier this year.

“From taking away people’s Medicaid to taking away SNAP benefits, to deporting people, to picking people up off the street who speak out against them, who are exercising their First Amendment right, to arresting judges,” she asserted. “Everything that they do is centered on cruelty.”

The lawmaker added, “This is what Trump’s America looks like, and this is constantly what we’re going to continue to get each and every day under this president and his administration.”

As for her case, the New Jersey congresswoman said she has “faith in the judicial system.” She added, “I have faith in the judge, faith in the jury. I know that things will be treated equally and fairly here in New Jersey.