Eric Swalwell calls for escalation after fellow Democrat faces charges for allegedly assaulting ICE officer

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell (Calif.) called for other lawmakers to "go one rung higher" after his colleague Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey was charged for allegedly assaulting an officer at an ICE detention center.

Alina Habba, the interim U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, announced the charges against McIver on Monday, saying she "assaulted, impeded, and interfered with law enforcement." Although McIver can be seen apparently shoving law enforcement on camera, she maintains that the charges against her are "purely political."

'We must take whatever we’ve done before to show dissent and go ONE RUNG HIGHER.'

RELATED: Democrat congresswoman will be charged for allegedly assaulting ICE officer, Alina Habba says

Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for MoveOn

"A RED LINE has been crossed," Swalwell said in a Monday post on X. "Trump is prosecuting his political enemies in Congress. This is just the beginning."

"We must take whatever we’ve done before to show dissent and go ONE RUNG HIGHER," Swalwell added. "And save your bulls*** documents on this, Alina. You’ll need them when you testify."

McIver has gained the sympathy of many of her Democratic colleagues, not just Swalwell. Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost of Texas went to bat for the congresswoman, claiming that the charges are just meant to "suppress dissent."

"This unprecedented move shows how far this authoritarian administration will go to suppress dissent," Frost said. "They’re charging a member of Congress with a CRIME for conducting oversight on an ICE facility. We will NOT be scared into submission. I stand with Rep. McIver."

RELATED: Trump pressures House Republican holdouts as reconciliation talks intensify

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

President Donald Trump and his administration maintain that the charges are not political but rather a deserved consequence.

“Give me a break. Did you see her?" Trump said. "She was out of control! She was shoving federal agents. The days of that crap are over! We’re going to have law and order!”

"No one is above the law," Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said. "If any person, regardless of political party, influence or status, assaults a law enforcement officer as we witnessed Congresswoman McIver do, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We thank our brave ICE law enforcement officers for their service to this great nation."

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