Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old Democratic candidate in Illinois, was forcibly thrown to the ground by a masked ICE agent while protesting outside a Broadview ICE facility. She was among roughly 100 demonstrators supporting opposition to a federal enforcement initiative dubbed Operation Midway Blitz.
Video shared on social media shows Abughazaleh blocking a driveway of the facility while an ICE vehicle tried to exit. As she stood her ground, she was pushed aside and thrown to the pavement. Reports say agents also deployed pepper balls and tear gas against the crowd.
Abughazaleh said she felt this action violated her First Amendment rights. Federal authorities defended their response by citing protesters’ attempts to block access and vehicle movement on site.