CHICAGO – Six individuals, including Democratic congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, were indicted Wednesday for allegedly impeding a federal officer during a protest at an immigration detention facility in Broadview, Illinois, last month.
According to federal prosecutors, the incident occurred on September 26, when demonstrators surrounded a government vehicle driven by a federal agent as it attempted to enter the facility. The activists allegedly banged on the car, scratched the word “pig” into its side, and damaged a rear windshield wiper, temporarily blocking the vehicle’s movement.
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Those charged include Abughazaleh, Andre Martin, Michael Rabbitt, Catherine Sharp, Brian Straw, and Joselyn Walsh. Prosecutors claim the group deliberately interfered with federal operations at the site, which has become a flashpoint for immigration protests since President Donald Trump’s “Operation Midway Blitz” began on September 8.
Defense attorneys rejected the charges, arguing they represent an attempt to intimidate peaceful protesters. “This is an effort by the Trump administration to frighten people out of exercising their First Amendment rights,” said Molly Armour, attorney for Catherine Sharp, who serves as chief of staff for Chicago alderperson Andre Vasquez.
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Abughazaleh, a former journalist and now Democratic candidate for Congress, told Reuters she plans to plead not guilty, as do several of her co-defendants. Another defendant, Brian Straw, a member of Oak Park’s Village Board, vowed the indictment would not deter him from “fulfilling his oath of office.”
The Broadview facility has seen repeated confrontations between protesters and federal agents in recent weeks, with law enforcement reportedly using tear gas and pepper balls to disperse crowds. Earlier this month, US District Judge Sara Ellis ordered federal officers in Chicago to wear visible identification and restrict their use of anti-riot weapons following lawsuits by journalists and activists.
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US Attorney Andrew Boutros emphasized that federal agents must be able to perform their duties “without confronting force, intimidation, or threats.” The case is scheduled to appear before Judge April Perry, who recently blocked Trump’s plan to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to Chicago.