CRANFORD — Congresswoman LaMonica McIver, who is currently facing charges related to an incident that transpired outside of an immigration detention center in Newark earlier this month, will join Cranford Mayor Terrence Curran for a town hall meeting to discuss federal-level policy shifts and their potential impacts on the local community.

“The government should be working for the people that it is supposed to serve and provide the services needed to maintain a strong and fair society,” Mayor Curran said, speaking during a regular meeting of the township committee on Tuesday. “This topic is well beyond the scope of this meeting, but I think it’s important to cover.”

Earlier this year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced plans to cut funding from a nationwide program that pays for infrastructure upgrades in flood-prone areas like Cranford. The proposed changes, Mr. Curran said, could have wide-reaching consequences for the community.

“Cranford is no stranger to flooding — we have dealt with it for decades. While we have made great strides at the local level…large storms are always a concern. In the past, FEMA has been a major source of support for us, both in funding and in materials. Now, states are being left to themselves,” he said, adding that proposed healthcare cuts could also pose challenges for many Cranford residents.

Ms. McIver, a former Newark councilwoman who was elected to represent New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District in 2024, is facing federal assault charges in connection with an incident that took place May 9 during a protest outside of Delaney Hall, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility.

The formal complaint, unsealed on Tuesday, alleges that Ms. McIver pushed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents with her forearms and joined in on efforts to prevent the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was initially charged with federal trespass after attempting to inspect the detention center with Rep. McIver and Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman.

Rep. McIver has denied any wrongdoing on the grounds that federal law prohibits immigration officials from barring members of Congress from entering detention facilities like the one in Newark.

The mayor’s town hall meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, in the Cranford Community Center. The meeting will be open to the public.

In other news, the township committee voted Tuesday to approve a $5,690,000 capital bond ordinance that will be used to purchase a new truck for the Department of Public Works, remediate a mold problem at the community center, finance streetscape improvements, mitigate flooding, resurface various road surfaces and purchase communications equipment for the municipal building and the police department.

The committee also approved amendments to the township’s fireinspection ordinance and its mandated fee structure to better reflect “the costs associated with administrating important safety regulations” to businesses, restaurants and other commercial enterprises that operate within Cranford’s boundaries.

Repaving efforts on Adams Avenue have been waylaid due to a sanitary sewer pipe collapse that will need to be addressed before work can continue. Police Chief Matthew Nazzaro suggested that the township may want to convert part of the heavily-trafficked street into a one-way thoroughfare to try to mitigate parking challenges and pedestrian-safety issues near the Adams Field baseball diamond.

“As things are designed right now, officers have to be out there every day that there is an event at the field to enforce the ‘no parking’ signs,” the chief said. “Despite our efforts, it feels like we need to get back to [the engineering department] to get to a resolution.”