"CHICAGO (AP) A Democratic congressional candidate in Illinois has been accused of blocking a federal agent's vehicle during September protests outside an immigration enforcement building in suburban Chicago, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday. The felony indictment, filed last week by a special grand jury, charges Kat Abughazaleh and five 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 said in a statement Wednesday. Protesters have gathered outside the immigration center to oppose enforcement operations in the Chicago area that have led to more than 1,800 arrests and complaints of excessive force. Greg Bovino, who is leading Border Patrol efforts in Chicago, was ordered this week by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis to brief her every evening about the operations,"
Kat Abughazaleh, a Democratic congressional candidate in Illinois, was indicted by a special grand jury on a felony charge of conspiring to impede an officer for allegedly blocking a federal agent's vehicle during September protests outside a suburban Chicago immigration enforcement building. Five others are named, including a Cook County Board candidate, a Democratic ward committeeman and an Oak Park trustee. Prosecutors allege the group surrounded the vehicle, banged on it, pushed against it, broke a mirror and scratched 'PIG' on the vehicle, and that Abughazaleh put her hands on the hood and braced against it. Abughazaleh and her attorney called the charges political and unjust. A federal judge ordered nightly briefings from Border Patrol leadership about the operations.
Read at www.twincities.com
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