Kat Abughazaleh, Five Others Indicted in Broadview Protests

A special federal grand jury has indicted progressive Illinois congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh and five others for allegedly surrounding and blocking an ICE agent’s vehicle during protests at the Broadview immigration processing center, charging them with conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer and related offenses. Prosecutors say the group banged on the vehicle, pushed against it, scratched the word “PIG” into the paint and damaged mirrors and a wiper; the counts carry penalties of up to six years for the conspiracy count and up to eight years for intimidation/assault counts. Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old former journalist and a leading contender in the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 9th District, has shared viral videos showing she was shoved and struck by officers at Broadview and called the indictment a “political prosecution” and an attack on First Amendment rights. The other defendants named are Catherine Sharp, Michael Rabbitt, Brian Straw, Andre Martin and Joselyn Walsh; several have ties to local Democratic politics and some Democrats, including a primary opponent, have criticized the charges as disproportionate. Critics and some legal observers view the case as part of a broader pattern of the Justice Department under the Trump administration pursuing legal action against protesters opposing immigration enforcement operations.