Democratic congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh is learning the hard way that the new sheriff in town — President Donald Trump — isn’t going to let people like her interfere with law enforcement. A special federal grand jury officially indicted Abughazaleh for working with protesters to block vehicles outside a federal immigration facility in Broadview, Illinois.
The indictment, filed on October 23, accuses Abughazaleh of physically hindering and impeding an agent who “had to drive at an extremely slow rate of speed to avoid injuring any of the conspirators.” Five others, including two political candidates, face charges alongside her. Abughazaleh now faces one count of conspiracy and another for “forcibly impeding, intimidating, and interfering” with an officer. Should the individuals charged be convicted, they’re looking at potentially spending six years behind bars in a federal prison.
Authorities did not take the defendants into custody but instead notified them of the indictment and ordered them to surrender to authorities next Wednesday. Unfortunately, U.S. District Judge April M. Perry — a Biden appointee — will oversee the case.
“This is a political prosecution that tries to turn dissent and First Amendment opposition to the Trump administration’s cruel policies into a conspiracy,” defense attorney Josh Herman said in an email to NBC News. “Kat has steadfastly opposed those policies and she will fight these charges with the same principled determination.”
“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,” Abughazaleh posted on social media. A few of Abughazaleh’s opponents in the race for mayor have denounced the charges brought against her. Daniel Biss, mayor of Evanston, who has also demonstrated outside the facility has called for the charges against Abughazaleh and the other protesters to be dropped.
“The only people engaged in violent and dangerous behavior at Broadview have been ICE. As someone who has protested at Broadview multiple times, I know these protests are nonviolent demonstrations against the kidnapping of our neighbors. Now, the Trump Administration is targeting protestors, including political candidates, in an effort to silence dissent and scare residents into submission. It won’t work,” Biss stated, according to CBS News.
A former journalist and popular social media influencer, Abughazaleh is running to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District — currently held by Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who is retiring. In a fundraising email, Abughazaleh told supporters that the charges mark “yet another attempt by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish those who dare to speak up.” She added, “Chicago doesn’t back down from bullies in masks who teargas our neighborhoods. This administration is weaponizing the federal legal system to scare us into silence.”
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The Broadview suburb of Chicago has become a flashpoint for confrontations between immigration officials and pro-illegal immigration protesters in recent months. Activists from across the U.S., along with Chicago-area demonstrators, have gathered outside the facility, claiming that enforcing immigration law represents government overreach.
Tensions between immigration officers and protesters have grown so severe that the mayor imposed strict protest hours to preserve local peace. Several clashes have led to arrests and federal court challenges over free speech rights. The city even established a designated “First Amendment zone” so demonstrators can protest safely.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video