House Democrats—with unexpected help from a handful of Republicans—blocked a GOP effort Wednesday to censure Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey and to boot her from the Homeland Security Committee.
The push came after GOP Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana introduced a privileged resolution Tuesday, forcing a quick vote. Higgins argued that it’s a “significant conflict of interest” for McIver to serve on a committee overseeing Immigration and Customs Enforcement while she faces federal charges related to an altercation with immigration officers.
With Republicans holding a razor-thin majority in the House, the measure had a real shot at passing—a move that would’ve further squeezed McIver ahead of her November trial on charges that carry sentences of up to eight years. But in a surprise twist, the House voted 215-207 to table the resolution, with five Republicans breaking ranks and two voting “present.”
McIver, who pleaded not guilty in June, has called the prosecution political retribution aimed at silencing dissent against President Donald Trump’s draconian immigration policies.
The charges stem from a tense May 9 visit to the 1,000-bed Delaney Hall detention facility, where McIver and colleagues clashed with federal officers as Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested for trespassing. (The trespassing charge was later dropped, and Baraka is now suing interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba—a Trump appointee who was later found to be serving illegally—for “malicious prosecution.”)
McIver maintains that she was the one who was assaulted during the incident, and in a statement Tuesday night, she accused Higgins of using the censure to score political points.
“We were all elected to do the people’s work. I take that responsibility seriously—Clay Higgins clearly does not. Instead of making life any better for the people he represents, he’s seeking to punish me for doing what he and his caucus are too cowardly to do: conduct real oversight, stand up to this administration, and do our jobs,” McIver said in a statement. “If House Republicans think they can make me run scared, they’re wrong.”
And on Wednesday, she doubled down.
“It’s pathetic. At the end of the day, it’s not going to stop me from doing my job,” she said. “I’m going to continue to provide oversight.”
Other Democrats are punching back, too. Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York, who also serves as Congressional Black Caucus chair, introduced her own privileged resolution to censure GOP Rep. Cory Mills of Florida, who faces a string of controversies—including allegedly threatening to release intimate photos of a former partner. Unlike the GOP’s unsuccessful resolution against McIver, Clarke’s effort does not call for Mills’ removal.
Republican leaders dismissed the move as a stunt.
“The motion against McIver is something that a lot of the members here feel passionately about,” Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters, arguing that McIver’s pending trial “seems to be a bit of a conflict for her to continue to serve on that committee.”
But Democrats counter that this is part of a larger pattern. Republicans have repeatedly targeted Democrats who challenge Trump or his allies. In March, GOP Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington pushed a resolution to censure Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas for protesting during Trump’s speech to Congress—and it passed.
For perspective, the House has censured just 28 members in its history—nearly a third of which happened in the last four years. What was once a rarely used punishment has become a partisan weapon, forcing lawmakers to stand in the well of the House as their condemnation is read aloud.
Stripping lawmakers of committee assignments is even newer territory. When Democrats were in power in 2021, they removed GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona for promoting violent rhetoric—setting a precedent that the GOP is now eager to use in return.
McIver’s case is shaping up as a stress test for how far Trump’s allies will go to punish critics—and how far Democrats are willing to push back.
Meanwhile, most Republicans are laser-focused on punishing dissent while ignoring other major issues. Just this week, Trump waved away questions about the release of the Epstein files, while House leaders teed up floor time to censure a Democrat whose trial hasn’t even begun.
Federal officers have also been harassing lawmakers, like Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California, who was shoved out of a Homeland Security press conference.
For Democrats, the message is clear: If you defy Trump, you risk becoming a political example.