Federal prosecutors in Chicago told defense counsel at a court hearing on Wednesday that they intend to withdraw the principal conspiracy count leveled against four individuals arrested after a protest at a federal detention facility in Broadview, Illinois, in late September.
The conspiracy charge was the only felony allegation against Kat Abughazaleh - a former journalist and one-time candidate for the U.S. House - and her co-defendants Andre Martin, Michael Rabbitt and Brian Straw, defense attorney Chris Parente said. With the conspiracy count removed, the four defendants will still face misdemeanor charges of impeding a federal officer, according to Parente.
The four have at times been identified collectively as the "Broadview Six" in reference to the demonstration at the detention center; two other individuals who had been indicted alongside them, Catherine Sharp and Jocelyn Walsh, had their charges dismissed entirely last month.
"The conspiracy charge was the most serious count, and it’s the most troubling because it was intended to silence dissent," Parente said. He represents Brian Straw.
Prosecutors allege that Abughazaleh, Martin, Rabbitt and Straw crowded around a government vehicle operated by a federal agent, deliberately blocking the vehicle's movement as the agent attempted to enter the Broadview facility during the September 26 protest. Those allegations form the basis of the misdemeanor impeding counts that remain pending.
The protest occurred amid a wider federal immigration enforcement initiative known as Operation Midway Blitz. The enforcement surge prompted demonstrations across Chicago that drew residents, candidates and elected officials. During the events, federal agents shot two people - one of whom died - and used tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets against protesters. The Broadview facility emerged as a focal point of confrontation during the operation.
A spokesperson for the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Legal proceedings will continue on the remaining misdemeanor counts. The decision to remove the conspiracy charge eliminates the sole felony exposure for the four defendants but leaves unresolved the misdemeanor allegations tied to the September protest and the agents' attempt to access the detention facility.