National Urban League's President Calls Charges Against Rep. McIver "An Unconstitutional Attempt to Criminalize Dissent"
NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE PRESIDENT MORIAL CALLS CHARGES AGAINST U.S. REP. McIVER "AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL ATTEMPT TO CRIMINALIZE DISSENT"
NEW YORK (May 20, 2025) — National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial today said the criminal charges filed against U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver appear to be an unconstitutional effort to criminalize dissent and deter Congress from exercising its duty of oversight.
"The Trump administration is using every tool at its disposal to pursue an audacious campaign of intimidation," Morial said. "The charges are not just an attempt to distract from the very real concerns about the safety of Delaney Hall and the legality of the mass deportation operation it was built to facilitate; they also are an unambiguous threat to anyone who dares to question the President's supremacy."
Morial noted that the charges against Ras Baraka stemming from the same incident were dropped due to lack of evidence. At the same time, President Trump called for criminal investigations of celebrities who endorsed his opponent in the last election.
"The administration's message is loud and clear: defiance of this president, criticism of his policies, insistence upon Constitutional authority will be met with ruthless and malicious retaliation," Morial said. "I have every confidence the American people will resist this slide toward totalitarianism, and hold the members of this administration to the principles they swore to uphold."