"I have been charged in a federal indictment sought by the Department of Justice. This political prosecution is an attack on all of our First Amendment rights."
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Federal prosecutors have indicted congressional candidate and former Media Matters activist Kat Abughazaleh, Cook County Board candidate Catherine “Cat” Sharp, and Democratic committeeman Michael Rabbitt over their alleged involvement in the September 26 Broadview ICE facility protest, where agitators surrounded and attacked a federal vehicle.
According to the indictment, filed under seal in the Northern District of Illinois and unsealed Wednesday, the three—along with Andre Martin, Brian Straw, and Joselyn Walsh—conspired to obstruct a federal officer assigned to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Prosecutors allege the defendants “prevented by force, intimidation, and threat” an ICE agent from carrying out his lawful duties.
Court documents say the group surrounded the government vehicle, banged on its windows and hood, and scratched and damaged its exterior, even etching the word “PIG” into the side. They also allegedly broke mirrors and a windshield wiper while physically blocking the agent’s path to the facility. The indictment states that the vehicle’s movement was deliberately impeded, forcing the agent to proceed “at an extremely slow rate of speed” to avoid hitting the crowd.
In a video posted to X, Abughazaleh said, "I have been charged in a federal indictment sought by the Department of Justice. This political prosecution is an attack on all of our First Amendment rights. I’m not backing down, and we’re going to win," along with a video reply.
"The Broadview facility, used for processing illegal immigrants detained in the Chicago area, has been the site of ongoing weekly demonstrations by anti-ICE activists. The September 26 protest turned violent after agitators blocked entry to the site, prompting officers to deploy pepper balls and tear gas to disperse the mob.
The defendants were charged under Title 18 of the U.S. Code, Sections 111(a)(1), 372, and 2 — assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers and conspiracy to interfere with federal law enforcement duties.
“My name is Kat Abughazaleh," she says in the video. "I'm running for Congress in the ninth district of Illinois, and the Department of Justice is charging six people, including myself, with federal crimes for exercising our First Amendment rights near ICE's Broadview Processing Center.
"This is a political prosecution and a gross attempt to silence dissent, a right protected under the First Amendment.
"This case is a major push by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish anyone who speaks out against them. That's why I'm going to fight these unjust charges. But I need your help to do it.
"As I and others have exercised our First Amendment rights, ICE has hit, dragged, thrown, shot with pepper balls, and tear gassed hundreds of protesters, simply because we had the gall to say that masked men coming into our communities, abducting our neighbors, and terrorizing us cannot be our new normal," she claimed.
"And because Chicago doesn't back down from bullies and masks who tear gas our neighborhoods, this administration has resorted to weaponizing the federal justice system to scare us into silence. But we're not going to be silent.
"The Trump administration wants you to be afraid of speaking out against it and its anti-democratic power grabs. And there are plenty of reasons to be afraid right now, but we have to overcome that fear.
"This case targets our rights to protest, speak freely, and associate with anyone who disagrees with the government. And while we have seen the unhinged and unlawful tactics this administration has used against the American public, it's important to remember they're doing this because they are scared, they are wrong, and they know they are on the wrong side of history.
"We cannot diminish ourselves in the face of these attacks. That's why we have to unite and stand up for humanity, our rights, and everyone terrorized by Trump's lawless secret police.
"You'll be hearing regular updates directly from me about this case and how we can use our constitutional rights to resist authoritarianism. And as scary as all of this is, I have spent my career fighting America's backslide into fascism. I'm not going to stop now, and I hope you won't either.”
This is a breaking news article. Refresh for details.
According to the indictment, filed under seal in the Northern District of Illinois and unsealed Wednesday, the three—along with Andre Martin, Brian Straw, and Joselyn Walsh—conspired to obstruct a federal officer assigned to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Prosecutors allege the defendants “prevented by force, intimidation, and threat” an ICE agent from carrying out his lawful duties.
Court documents say the group surrounded the government vehicle, banged on its windows and hood, and scratched and damaged its exterior, even etching the word “PIG” into the side. They also allegedly broke mirrors and a windshield wiper while physically blocking the agent’s path to the facility. The indictment states that the vehicle’s movement was deliberately impeded, forcing the agent to proceed “at an extremely slow rate of speed” to avoid hitting the crowd.
In a video posted to X, Abughazaleh said, "I have been charged in a federal indictment sought by the Department of Justice. This political prosecution is an attack on all of our First Amendment rights. I’m not backing down, and we’re going to win," along with a video reply.
"The Broadview facility, used for processing illegal immigrants detained in the Chicago area, has been the site of ongoing weekly demonstrations by anti-ICE activists. The September 26 protest turned violent after agitators blocked entry to the site, prompting officers to deploy pepper balls and tear gas to disperse the mob.
The defendants were charged under Title 18 of the U.S. Code, Sections 111(a)(1), 372, and 2 — assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers and conspiracy to interfere with federal law enforcement duties.
“My name is Kat Abughazaleh," she says in the video. "I'm running for Congress in the ninth district of Illinois, and the Department of Justice is charging six people, including myself, with federal crimes for exercising our First Amendment rights near ICE's Broadview Processing Center.
"This is a political prosecution and a gross attempt to silence dissent, a right protected under the First Amendment.
"This case is a major push by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish anyone who speaks out against them. That's why I'm going to fight these unjust charges. But I need your help to do it.
"As I and others have exercised our First Amendment rights, ICE has hit, dragged, thrown, shot with pepper balls, and tear gassed hundreds of protesters, simply because we had the gall to say that masked men coming into our communities, abducting our neighbors, and terrorizing us cannot be our new normal," she claimed.
"And because Chicago doesn't back down from bullies and masks who tear gas our neighborhoods, this administration has resorted to weaponizing the federal justice system to scare us into silence. But we're not going to be silent.
"The Trump administration wants you to be afraid of speaking out against it and its anti-democratic power grabs. And there are plenty of reasons to be afraid right now, but we have to overcome that fear.
"This case targets our rights to protest, speak freely, and associate with anyone who disagrees with the government. And while we have seen the unhinged and unlawful tactics this administration has used against the American public, it's important to remember they're doing this because they are scared, they are wrong, and they know they are on the wrong side of history.
"We cannot diminish ourselves in the face of these attacks. That's why we have to unite and stand up for humanity, our rights, and everyone terrorized by Trump's lawless secret police.
"You'll be hearing regular updates directly from me about this case and how we can use our constitutional rights to resist authoritarianism. And as scary as all of this is, I have spent my career fighting America's backslide into fascism. I'm not going to stop now, and I hope you won't either.”
This is a breaking news article. Refresh for details.
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