A progressive candidate in Illinois has been indicted on federal charges resulting from a protest outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in suburban Chicago.
Kat Abu-Ghazaleh, who is 26, is a social media influencer and former journalist running for Congress in Illinois’ 9th District. She faces two charges: conspiracy to obstruct an ICE officer and to assault or obstruct an ICE officer while performing their duties.
The indictment includes five others, such as Democratic Commissioner Michael Rabbitt from Chicago’s 45th District and Katherine Sharp, who is also campaigning for a position on the Cook County Commission.
This indictment was issued by a grand jury last week but was revealed by a federal judge on Wednesday, per court documents.
The indictment alleges that on September 26, Abu-Ghazaleh and a co-defendant “surrounded” an ICE agent’s vehicle as the agent attempted to access an immigration enforcement site in Broadview, Illinois, a focal point for ongoing protests.
Prosecutors say the group “violently banged” on the official vehicle, swarming it and pushing against it, while also damaging the car by breaking its mirror and windshield wiper and inscribing “PIG” on the vehicle’s body.
The indictment states that part of the conspiracy involved physically obstructing the ICE agent and a government vehicle, causing the agent to move at a crawl to avoid harm to the protestors while trying to fulfill their duties.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Abu-Ghazaleh, who has claimed she was unjustly targeted for speaking out against ICE actions in Chicago, described being “beaten, dragged, thrown, pepper-balled, and tear-gassed” alongside other protesters.
She added, “While Chicago stands firm against intimidation tactics, this administration appears to be weaponizing the legal system to silence dissent. But we will not be silenced.”
If found guilty, she could face up to six years for conspiracy and up to eight years for assault.
The case is under the jurisdiction of U.S. District Judge April Perry, who is also looking into President Trump’s attempts to deploy the National Guard to Chicago for ICE facility protection.
Other individuals indicted include Andre Martin, Brian Straw, and Jocelyn Walsh.
Abu-Ghazaleh’s attorney, Joshua Herman, deemed the case “a political prosecution aimed at criminalizing opposition to Trump’s harsh policies” while defending the First Amendment rights of protestors.
In a similar vein, Mr. Walsh’s attorney, Brad Thomsen, labeled the charges as “a blatant infringement on First Amendment rights,” stating that Walsh would plead not guilty.
Inquiries have been sent to Sharpe’s and Stroh’s attorneys for further comments. Court records didn’t provide immediate information about attorneys for Rabbitt and Martin.
Abu-Ghazaleh, who previously produced content for Media Matters for America, boasts over 289,000 followers on TikTok. She is running to replace U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who announced in May her intention not to seek reelection.
