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When she refused to step aside, ICE agents moved in and physically removed her from the road. The situation grew chaotic as one officer reportedly deployed tear gas to control the crowd.
“This is what it looks like when ICE violates our First Amendment rights,” Abughazaleh wrote on X as she shared the footage.
Critics Fire Back
But sympathy online was scarce.
“Kat Abughazaleh admittedly obstructed ICE agents,” one critic posted, while tagging U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Make a legal example out of this criminal.”
Another observer highlighted federal law, pointing directly to 18 U.S.C. § 111, which makes it a felony to resist or impede federal officers. The statute carries a potential prison sentence of up to eight years.
One more commenter didn’t mince words: “Why would she not be arrested? We have to give these people consequences or they will continue to behave this way.”
A Radical Platform and Big Money
Abughazaleh has styled herself as an anti-ICE activist hoping to ride the momentum of progressive outrage into Congress. Despite her antics, she has managed to collect serious cash. Campaign filings show her sitting on nearly $666,000 in the bank, a number that places her ahead of the rest of the Democratic field in a crowded 10-way race.
She’s competing for the seat long held by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), who announced earlier this year that she is stepping aside. The district is heavily Democratic, which means the primary essentially decides the winner.
Pattern of Leftist Confrontations
What happened in Broadview isn’t an isolated event. It’s part of a wider strategy by the far Left to physically interfere with ICE operations.
Earlier this year, Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), another Squad-aligned progressive, was arrested outside a detention center in New Jersey after allegedly striking a federal officer. Newark’s Democrat mayor Ras Baraka was also taken into custody during the same protest. Baraka walked free when charges were dropped, but McIver is headed for trial this November and has pleaded not guilty.
Political Gamble
For Abughazaleh, her clash with ICE could cut both ways. Her supporters see her as a progressive warrior willing to confront federal officers for the sake of immigrants. Her critics, however, see a reckless stunt that puts federal agents in danger and risks federal prosecution.
ICE has yet to comment publicly or confirm whether Abughazaleh will face charges. The agency has consistently defended its officers in similar confrontations, stressing that enforcing immigration law and maintaining order at federal facilities requires decisive action.
What is clear is that Democrats aligned with the Squad are not content to just shout slogans — they are increasingly willing to provoke dangerous confrontations with law enforcement. And voters in Illinois’ 9th District will now have to decide whether they want a representative who makes headlines by clashing with federal officers instead of working on real solutions.
