A Republican-led effort to censure Rep. LaMonica McIver, the New Jersey Democrat indicted on federal charges for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center, was reportedly defeated in the House of Representatives on Wednesday after a handful of GOP defections helped Democrats sink the resolution.
The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana, called for McIver’s formal censure and her removal from the House Homeland Security Committee, which has direct oversight of immigration enforcement.
But lawmakers voted 215 to 207 to table the measure, with five Republicans siding with Democrats.
Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Mike Turner of Ohio, David Valadao of California, Mike Flood of Nebraska, and David Joyce of Ohio joined Democrats in voting to kill the resolution.
Turner’s office quickly claimed his vote was cast in error. “Congressman Turner supports removing Rep. LaMonica McIver from the Homeland Security Committee. He intended to vote no to table and submitted a correction immediately,” his office said in a statement.
All Democrats present voted against the measure, while Republican Reps. Andrew Garbarino of New York and Nathaniel Moran of Texas voted “present.” Garbarino currently chairs the Homeland Security Committee.
Some conservatives expressed outrage over the failed effort. Rep. Chip Roy of Texas blasted fellow Republicans who sided with Democrats. “I was prepared to debate this on the floor alongside @RepClayHiggins after we defeated tabling… yet inexplicably it was not defeated,” Roy wrote on X. “She’s on the HOMELAND SECURITY committee & indicted for ‘forcibly impeding law enforcement officers.’ NUTS!”
McIver, who was indicted in June by Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba on three federal charges stemming from the May confrontation, has rejected the resolution as a political stunt. Prosecutors accuse her of “forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers” as they attempted to arrest an individual at the ICE facility.
In a statement, McIver framed her actions as part of her legislative responsibilities. “Clay Higgins moved to force a vote to censure me and remove me from @HomelandDems because I was doing my job,” she wrote on Tuesday.
Republicans, however, argue her continued role on the committee represents a dangerous conflict of interest. The resolution declared: “Representative McIver’s continued service on the Committee on Homeland Security, which is charged with oversight of Federal immigration enforcement and other national security matters, would represent a significant conflict of interest.”
McIver has consistently voted against Republican-led immigration legislation, including the Laken Riley Act, which mandates detention of illegal migrants who commit crimes, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a sweeping $150 billion border security package.
As Republicans attempted to censure McIver, Democrats moved quickly to draft a retaliatory resolution targeting Rep. Cory Mills, Republican of Florida, citing what they described as a series of ethical controversies.
Mills has denied recent allegations from Miss United States 2024, Lindsey Langston, who accused him of threatening to release intimate videos after their relationship ended.
The collapse of the McIver censure highlights the ongoing fractures within the Republican conference, even on questions of immigration and law enforcement where the party has typically stood united.
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