Newark, New Jersey - Newark Mayor Ras Baraka on Tuesday sued New Jersey's top federal prosecutor following his arrest outside a US immigration detention facility.

"Today I filed a federal lawsuit against Alina Habba and DHS Agent Ricky Patel for false arrest, malicious prosecution, and defamation. They abused their power to violently arrest me at Delaney Hall despite being invited inside. No one is above the law," Baraka announced on X.

Habba, the interim US attorney for New Jersey, is accused of issuing a "defamatory statement" against Baraka after his arrest. The suit cites an X post in which the prosecutor claims Baraka had "committed trespass" and "willingly chosen to disregard the law" at the Delaney Hall federal immigration detention center.

Baraka was arrested last month after trying to join Democratic Representatives LaMonica McIver, Rob Menendez, and Bonnie Watson Coleman on an oversight tour of Delaney Hall, operated by the private prison contractor GEO Group.

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The lawsuit states that Baraka had been invited inside the Delaney gate by a GEO Group guard, before his presence there was challenged by Homeland Security Investigations agent Ricky Patel.

"At 2:44 PM, five minutes after Mayor Baraka left the Geo Group property, approximately 20 DHS [Department of Homeland Security] agents, many armed and masked, descended on the Mayor and members of Congress without any attempt to calm fears or ensure peace," the complaint reads.

"The DHS agents handcuffed the Mayor behind his back in an effort to effect maximum humiliation for what Defendant Habba's office later admitted was an alleged 'petty offense.'"

The lawsuit goes on to accuse Habba of targeting Baraka for political reasons.

"Defendant Habba issued the defamatory statement and authorized the false arrest of Mayor Baraka despite clear evidence that Mayor Baraka had not committed the petty offense of 'defiant trespass,'" the suit argues.

"In authorizing and/or directing the arrest of Mayor Baraka without proper legal grounds, Defendant Habba was acting for political reasons and fulfilling her stated goal of 'turning New Jersey red' by instigating and/or authorizing the false arrest of Mayor Baraka, a Democrat."

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The trespassing case against Baraka has been dismissed, though Habba has pressed charges against McIver for allegedly assaulting officers at Delaney Hall's gate.

Baraka has firmly opposed the Trump administration's anti-immigrant agenda. The mayor of New Jersey's largest city sued GEO Group after it was offered a 15-year, $1-billion contract in February to open the 1,000-bed Delaney Hall facility.

The Trump administration followed by suing Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Hoboken for their sanctuary city policies.

Baraka is in the running to become the next governor of New Jersey, with the Democratic primary election set for Tuesday, June 10.