Democratic congressional candidate indicted in anti-ICE protest that turned violent in Illinois
A Democratic congressional candidate in Illinois has been indicted on federal charges relating to an incident in which protesters allegedly attacked an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle outside a...
By Fox News · Fox News
A Democratic congressional candidate in Illinois has been indicted on federal charges relating to an incident in which protesters allegedly attacked an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle outside a Chicago suburb facility last month. Katherine "Kat" Abughazaleh, 26, who has branded herself a "Gen Z influencer" running for Congress in Illinois’s 9th District, is accused of conspiracy to impede or injure an ICE officer while on duty in Broadview, Illinois, Sept. 26, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday. Abughazaleh had been expected to win the Democratic nomination to succeed Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., 81, who is retiring. Five other protesters were also indicted with Abughazaleh, including one of her associates and two other political candidates. DHS RIPS ‘DISHONEST, DESPERATE’ GEN Z CANDIDATE WHO RAGED AGAINST KRISTI NOEM’S 'CRIMES’ AT ANTI-ICE PROTEST The defendants include Andre Martin, described in the indictment as an associate who worked for or with her; Michael Rabbit, a Democratic committee person in Chicago’s 45th Ward; Catherine Sharp, a candidate for the Cook County Board of Commissioners; and Brian Straw and Joselyn Walsh, who are listed as Illinois residents. According to the indictment, a group of individuals surrounded a government vehicle with "intent to hinder or impede" operations by "aggressively" banging and pushing the car. The protesters allegedly etched derogatory messages including the word "PIG" into the car, broke a side mirror and damaged a rear windshield wiper. The indictment also alleges that Abughazaleh moved to the front of the government vehicle during the confrontation, pressing her hands against the hood and using her body to block its path. "No one is above the law, and no one has the right to obstruct it," Todd Blanche, deputy attorney general, said in a statement Wednesday. "The Department of Justice will never tolerate such conduct and will continue to hold accountable anyone who seeks to impede lawful…