In a dramatic and troubling incident this past Friday morning, Kat Abughazaleh, a Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, was forcibly thrown to the ground by a masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during a protest outside an ICE processing facility in Broadview, Illinois. The 26-year-old former journalist and activist was participating in a demonstration opposing the conditions and detentions managed by ICE when tensions escalated into violence.
Video footage captured the moment around 6:30 a.m. when the unidentified officer seized Abughazaleh by the chest, pushed her forward, lifted her up, and slammed her onto the pavement. Despite sustaining scrapes to her hands and fingers, Abughazaleh vowed that the incident would not deter her commitment to protest or advocate for immigrant rights.
“This facility is committing crimes against humanity,” Abughazaleh told HuffPost. “People aren’t supposed to be held for more than 12 hours, but they’re detained for days or weeks without basic necessities like beds, hygiene products, or hot meals. They are treated worse than animals.” She emphasized the urgency of resisting ICE’s actions, calling on activists to stop being polite and to be ready to be “manhandled by officers” in defense of vulnerable detainees.
The protest intensified when federal agents arrested another demonstrator in what Abughazaleh described as a “kidnapping.” Witnesses reported seeing the arrested individual in chains being placed inside a transport van. In response, protesters linked arms to block the van in an attempt to halt the removal and uphold their First Amendment rights. The federal responses escalated, with ICE agents deploying tear gas and firing pepper balls into the crowd, including journalists covering the event. NBC Chicago reporter Jenn Schanz shared how the chemical agents caused intense eye irritation and breathing difficulties for media personnel present.
During the standoff, one ICE agent reportedly told Abughazaleh, “Your First Amendment rights are on the sidewalk,” underscoring the perceived limits placed on the protesters’ expression and assembly.
Abughazaleh’s protest activism is informed by her professional background as a journalist covering right-wing extremism and misinformation. She warned that ignoring authoritarianism and allowing such abuses to persist risks broader violations of human rights and democratic principles.
Despite the violent encounter, Abughazaleh remains undeterred. She called for increased civic engagement and activism against ICE’s treatment of detainees and pledged to continue speaking out and organizing. Plans for another protest at the facility were scheduled for later that evening.
This confrontation highlights the growing tensions surrounding immigration enforcement and the rights of protesters, raising urgent questions about the use of force against demonstrators and the accountability of federal agencies like ICE. As Abughazaleh’s congressional campaign unfolds, her experience at the protest may galvanize supporters concerned about human rights, government overreach, and the future direction of immigration policies in Illinois and beyond.
