HRES 539119th CongressIntroduced

Censuring Representative LaMonica McIver and removing her from the Committee on Homeland Security.

Introduced: Jun 24, 2025

Civil Rights & JusticeImmigration

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

H. Res. 539 is a House resolution that would formally censure Representative LaMonica McIver and remove her from the Committee on Homeland Security. The measure cites a May 9, 2025 incident at the Delaney Hall Federal Immigration Facility in Newark, New Jersey, and a federal indictment charging her with assaulting, resisting, impeding, and interfering with federal officers. The resolution asserts that her alleged actions—such as challenging a federal officer’s access guidance, interfering with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, and physically restraining an officer—violate federal law (18 U.S.C. 111(a)(1)) and reflect poorly on the House. It also invokes Rule XXIII, which requires members to behave in a way that reflects credit on the House, to argue that continued service on the Homeland Security Committee would present a significant conflict of interest. The bill would require McIver to appear in the well for the pronouncement of censure and would publicly read the resolution by the Speaker, and it would remove her from the Homeland Security Committee. This is a introduced House resolution (not a statute) that relies on unproven allegations and a federal indictment to justify disciplinary actions by the House. It is currently referred to the Ethics Committee and has not become law. The text presents the actions as grounds for censure and removal from a specific committee, rather than as criminal penalties.

Key Points

1Censure of Representative LaMonica McIver for alleged conduct on May 9, 2025, at a federal immigration facility, supported by a federal indictment.
2The resolution asserts the actions violated 18 U.S.C. 111(a)(1) (assaulting, resisting, impeding, and interfering with a federal officer) and did not reflect credit on the House under Rule XXIII.
3Public pronouncement: if enacted, McIver would be required to appear in the well of the House for the pronouncement of censure and the Speaker would publicly read the resolution.
4Removal from the Committee on Homeland Security: the bill would remove McIver from the Committee on Homeland Security, terminating her assignment on that panel.
5Process note: introduced in the House by Mr. Higgins of Louisiana, referred to the Committee on Ethics; the sponsor and status indicate this is an ethics-based reprimand rather than a formal criminal verdict.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Representative LaMonica McIver, and her ability to serve on the Committee on Homeland Security; as well as her New Jersey constituents who rely on her role on that committee and in Congress.Secondary group/area affected- The House Committee on Ethics’s processes and the House’s norms regarding conduct by members; the credibility and oversight role of the Homeland Security Committee, which handles national security and immigration enforcement matters.Additional impacts- Political and strategic signaling: the resolution would send a message about accountability for members accused (via indictment) of misconduct with federal officers; it could influence party dynamics and public perception of ethics enforcement.- Legal nuance: the resolution cites an indictment and alleged conduct as the basis for action, but an indictment is not a conviction; the resolution represents a House stance and does not determine criminal guilt.- Procedural considerations: as a resolution, this action requires passage by the House and is separate from ongoing criminal proceedings; further actions could be pursued under House ethics rules or by other bodies, depending on outcomes of the indictment and any related proceedings.

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