Remaining 'Broadview Six' defendants' felony charges dropped
CHICAGO - Federal prosecutors are dropping the most serious criminal charges against four of the so-called "Broadview Six" defendants, who were accused of trying to impede federal immigration officers during a protest outside a suburban ICE facility last year.
What we know:
Prosecutors initially charged Kat Abughazaleh; Catherine Sharp, the chief of staff for 40th Ward Ald. Andre Vasquez; Brian Straw, a Village of Oak Park trustee; Michael Rabbitt, the 45th Ward Democratic Committeeperson; Joselyn Walsh, a local musician; and Andre Martin of Providence, Rhode Island, with conspiracy to impede federal immigration officers and misdemeanor assault.
The charges against Sharp and Walsh were tossed earlier this year, according to court records.
Prosecutors told Judge April Perry that they will refile only misdemeanor charges against the remaining four defendants.
The charges stem from a protest in Broadview on Sept. 26, 2025, when a crowd allegedly "broke one of the vehicle’s side mirrors and the rear windshield wiper and etched a derogatory message into the body of the vehicle," according to federal prosecutors.
An initial indictment alleged the group tried to block federal vehicles, "banged aggressively" on them, and attempted to injure at least one agent.
Protesters, including candidates for the 9th Congressional District, are enveloped in a cloud of gas released by federal agents while they attempt to block a vehicle at the Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Sept. 19, 2025, in
Attorneys for the defendants called the charges "politically motivated," "ludicrous," and "unjust."
Abughazaleh, who lost the Democratic primary for Congress in the north suburban 9th District in March, touted the decision on social media.
"This case has cost myself, one of my closest friends, and four others immeasurable amounts of stress, money, and opportunity," she said in a post. "But the federal government knew they couldn’t try this BS and had to drop the felony charge."
She added that the move was "unexpected" and appears to have come about because the government "would not have to release the unredacted grand jury transcripts that brought these charges in the first place."
She said there was still a misdemeanor trial expected to take place next month.
Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, who also protested against federal immigration officers at the Broadview facility said on X it was good the felony charges were dropped.
"The charges against Kat and the Broadview Six were always politically motivated BS," Biss said in the post. "The DOJ should drop this case and stop trying to squash peaceful protest."