CHICAGO, IL — The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted Illinois congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh and five others for allegedly obstructing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during a September 26 protest at a federal facility in Broadview, outside Chicago. The 11-page indictment accuses the group of using “force, intimidation, and threat” to prevent an ICE officer from performing his duties.
Prosecutors allege that protesters banged on a government vehicle, blocked its path, and etched the word “PIG” into its exterior. Abughazaleh, a Democrat running in Illinois’s 9th Congressional District, denied the allegations, calling the charges “a political prosecution and a gross attempt at silencing dissent.”
If convicted, the protesters could face up to six years in prison on conspiracy counts and eight years for intimidation. Abughazaleh has previously accused ICE agents of using excessive force, citing an incident earlier this year when she was slammed to the ground during a demonstration.
Federal tensions in Chicago remain high following Judge Sara Ellis’s order requiring agents to wear body cameras and limit use of tear gas. Abughazaleh vowed to continue campaigning, saying she “won’t be intimidated.”
Sources:
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CBS News – MBFC Rating
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