CHICAGO (AP) — A Democratic congressional candidate in Illinois has been accused of blocking a federal agent’s automobile throughout September protests outdoors an immigration enforcement constructing in suburban Chicago, based on courtroom paperwork unsealed Wednesday.
The felony indictment, filed final week by a particular grand jury, fees Kat Abughazaleh and 5 others of conspiring to impede an officer.
“This is a political prosecution and a gross attempt at silencing dissent, a right protected under the First Amendment. This case is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish those who dare to speak up,” Abughazaleh stated in an announcement Wednesday.
Protesters have gathered outdoors the immigration heart to oppose enforcement operations within the Chicago space which have led to greater than 1,800 arrests and complaints of extreme pressure.
Greg Bovino, who’s main Border Patrol efforts in Chicago, was ordered this week by U.S. District Decide Sara Ellis to temporary her each night in regards to the operations, starting on Wednesday. It’s an unprecedented bid to impose real-time oversight on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown within the metropolis after weeks of tense encounters and more and more aggressive techniques by brokers.
Federal prosecutors accuse Abughazaleh and others of surrounding a automobile pushed by a federal agent on Sept. 26 and making an attempt to cease it from getting into the ability.
Among the many others named within the indictment are a candidate for the Prepare dinner County Board, a Democratic ward committeeman and a trustee in suburban Oak Park. The costs accuse all six of conspiring to impede an officer.
Abughazaleh is scheduled to make an preliminary courtroom look subsequent week. Her legal professional known as the costs “unjust.”
The indictment stated the group banged on the automobile, pushed in opposition to it, broke a mirror and scratched the textual content “PIG” on the automobile.
Abughazaleh at one level put her arms on the automobile’s hood and braced her physique in opposition to it whereas staying in its means, the indictment says. The agent was “forced to drive at an extremely slow rate of speed to avoid injuring any of the conspirators,” it says.
Only a week earlier than that alleged confrontation, she instructed The Related Press that in a protest on Sept. 19 she was thrown on the bottom by federal brokers and hit with tear gasoline as she stood arm-in-arm with others in entrance of a driveway, blocking a automobile. A video of that incident was broadly circulated.
A liberal journalist with a giant social media following, Abughazaleh introduced her run in March, saying most Democrats “work from an outdated playbook.”
She’s operating in a crowded Democratic major to switch retiring U.S. Rep. Jan Schawkosky.
Protesting the immigration crackdown round Chicago has emerged as a prime concern on campaigns in Illinois’ March major. Elected officers and candidates within the Democratic stronghold have typically confirmed up for demonstrations outdoors the Broadview federal facility.
“As I and others exercised our First Amendment rights, ICE has hit, dragged, thrown, shot with pepper balls, and teargassed hundreds of protesters, myself included. Simply because we had the gall to say masked men abducting our neighbors and terrorizing our community cannot be the new normal,” Abughazaleh stated.
“I’ve spent my career fighting America’s backwards slide towards fascism, and I’m not going to give up now,” she stated. “I hope you won’t either.”
Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.
