antiICE

Oct. 29 (UPI) — A federal grand jury in Chicago indicted House of Representatives hopeful Kat Abughazaleh for conspiracy and interfering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities.

Abughazaleh, 26, is a progressive candidate who is one of more than a dozen seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for the 2026 election to represent Illinois’ Ninth Congressional District that is located north of Chicago.

A federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois indicted her and five others on Thursday for impeding an ICE vehicle and agent outside the ICE facility in Broadview, Ill.

“No one is above the law and no one has the right to obstruct it,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.

“Federal agents perform dangerous, essential work every single day to enforce out immigration laws and keep our communities safe.”

He said those who “resort to force or intimidation to interfere with that mission … attack not only the agents themselves but the rule of law they represent.”

Abughazaleh called her indictment a “political prosecution and a gross attempt to silence dissent” in a post on X.

“This case is a major push by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish anyone who speaks out against them.”

Among Abughazaleh’s indicted co-defendants include those involved local politics.

Catherine Sharp, 29, seeks a seat on the Cook County Board and is the chief of staff to Ald. Andre Vasquez, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Oak Park trustee Brian Straw, 38, and 45th Ward Democratic committee member Michael Rabbit, 62, also are indicted, along with protesters Andre Martin, 27, and Joselyn Walsh, 31.

A sealed court document filed on Thursday accuses Abughazaleh and co-defendants of conspiracy and interfering with the duties of an officer of the United States, which are punishable by up to six years in prison.

They allegedly surrounded an ICE vehicle driven by an agent and hindered its progress as the officer drove forward “at an extremely slow rate of speed” while trying not to injure any of the six defendants.

Prosecutors say Abughazaleh, “with her hands on the hood braced her body and hands against the vehicle while remaining directly in the path of the vehicle.”

The defendants also are accused of etching “Pig” on the side of the ICE vehicle and breaking its side mirrors and rear windshield wiper.

Abughazaleh, et al., have an arraignment hearing scheduled on Nov. 5.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat, currently represents Illinois’ Ninth Congressional District, which includes Evanston along the Lake Michigan shoreline to the east and stretches northwesterly to include Crystal Lake in its far northwestern corner.

Schakowsky is retiring from politics and vacating the seat after finishing her current term.

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Protesters at the Broadview Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility near Chicago scuffled with police Friday morning. A day earlier a federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard soldiers to the state of Illinois, saying the administration was providing “unreliable evidence” on supposed threats to federal agents.

Kash Patel/FBI

A local activist who handed out protective face shields to protesters last month during demonstrations against the Trump administration’s chaotic immigration raids was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday.

Alejandro Orellana, a 29-year-old member of the Boyle Heights-based community organization Centro CSO, faces charges of conspiracy and aiding and abetting civil disorder, court records show.

According to the indictment, Orellana and at least two others drove around downtown L.A. in a pickup truck distributing Uvex Bionic face shields and other items to a crowd engaged in a protest near the federal building on Los Angeles Street on June 9.

Prosecutors allege Orellana was helping protesters withstand less-lethal munitions being deployed by Los Angeles police officers and Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies after an unlawful assembly had been declared.

Orellana is due in court on Thursday morning. An e-mail to his federal public defender seeking comment was not immediately returned.

U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli, a former California Assemblyman appointed by President Trump, has promised to aggressively prosecute anyone who interferes with Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations or harms police during protests. Federal prosecutors have brought at least 14 cases related to last month’s demonstrations and Essayli promised more people will be charged.

Asked how handing out defensive equipment was a crime during a news conference last month, Essayli insisted Orellana was specifically handing out supplies to violent demonstrators.

“He wasn’t handing masks out at the beach. … They’re covering their faces. They’re wearing backpacks. These weren’t peaceful protesters,” he said. “They weren’t holding up signs, with a political message. They came to do violence.”

Essayli described anyone who remained at a protest scene after an unlawful assembly was declared as a “rioter” and said peaceful protesters “don’t need a face shield.”

Orellana, who works for United Parcel Service, has no criminal record and previously served in the U.S. Marines, according to Carlos Montes, a fellow member of Centro CSO.

Montes said he believes Essayli is specifically targeting Centro CSO for its pro-immigrant activism, noting FBI agents seized another member’s cellphone last week as part of their investigation into Orellana.

“It’s ridiculous charges. We’re demanding they drop the charges now. They’re insignificant, ridiculous,” Montes said. “The most it amounts to is that he was passing out personal protective equipment, which includes boxes of water, hand sanitizer and snacks.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. Marine Corps did not immediately respond to a request for Orellana’s service record.

Montes also challenged Essayli’s argument that peaceful protesters have no need for protective equipment, pointing to myriad instances in which people have been seriously injured by Los Angeles police and county sheriff’s deputies in recent years.

A Times investigation last month highlighted incidents in which protesters allege Los Angeles Police Department officers fired rubber rounds and other crowd control munitions without warning in recent weeks, causing demonstrators and members of the media to suffer broken bones, concussions and other forms of severe harm.

Times staff writer Brittny Mejia contributed to this report.

A protester is arrested after attempting to block an ICE van during the “No Kings” protest on Saturday, June 14, 2025 in New York City. Protests are taking place around the nation to coincide with President Trump’s military parade in Washington, DC. Photo by Derek French/UPI | License Photo

June 15 (UPI) — A protest outside of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Oregon has been declared a riot by the Portland Police Bureau.

Police said in a statement early Sunday morning that the massive demonstration was attended by some “tens of thousands” of protesters, and described as “peaceful” throughout the afternoon on Saturday.

But shortly before 6 p.m. on Saturday evening, a federal officer was reported to have been injured by the crowd. And around 8 p.m., police arrested 25-year-old Sabian Crisantos for an attempted assault of a public safety officer.

“Throughout the night, PPB observed criminal behavior, which resulted in targeted arrests. Officers on bikes conducted visibility patrols in an attempt to deter crime, but also recognized that at times their presence escalated the crowd,” police said.

“During those times, the decision was made to disengage, but officers remained in the area to respond to any additional criminal activity.”

Portland police said they made a second arrest just before 11 p.m. when a person was observed throwing a rock at a building. The suspect was identified as 20-year-old Tyson Kahnert, who faces a number of charges, including criminal mischief.

And a third man, 38-year-old Cory Oien, was arrested for theft and driving under the influence of intoxicants after he was seen picking up “traffic control devices” in the area and putting them in the bed of his truck around 1 a.m. Sunday morning.

They were all booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center, police said.

The scene was no longer declared a riot by 9:15 p.m.

The news came as at least one person was critically injured Saturday in a shooting at a protest against President Donald Trump in Salt Lake City and hours after two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota were shot dead by a gunman.

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City crews are clearing debris in Los Angeles after three nights of anti-ICE protests left burned vehicles, smashed windows, and graffiti across downtown. Cleanup began early Monday as officials assessed structural damage and transit disruptions caused by the unrest.

An aide to Los Angeles City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado has been placed on unpaid leave after being arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon at an anti-ICE protest, Jurado and her staff said Monday.

Luz Aguilar, 26, who serves as Jurado’s deputy for economic innovation and community growth, was arrested around 7 p.m. Sunday and booked several hours later, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department inmate records.

“The allegations are deeply concerning and I take them very seriously,” Jurado, who represents downtown and neighborhoods on L.A.’s Eastside, said in a statement. “While I respect the individual’s right to due process, I hold my team to the highest standards of conduct.”

Aguilar‘s father is Pasadena City Councilmember Rick Cole, who is also a high-level aide to L.A. City Controller Kenneth Mejia. Aguilar’s sister, 26-year-old Antonia Aguilar, was arrested at the same time, records show.

Both were being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Jurado said Luz Aguilar — who is listed in inmate records as AguilarCole — has been placed on unpaid leave while the council office assesses the facts and considers “appropriate action.” Although Aguilar was accused of assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon, “it’s a developing situation,” said Lisa Marroquin, a spokesperson for Jurado.

Marroquin could not say which law enforcement agency the officer was from.

Cole, in a text message, said Monday that he did not yet have information on the allegations. A day earlier, while appearing at an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement rally in Pasadena, he said the fight against the immigration arrests was personal to him.

“I’ve just seen pictures of my two daughters on a curb in downtown Los Angeles in handcuffs [with] the LAPD,” he said at the rally. “So I’m going to be figuring out where they are so I can go bail them out.”

Protests against federal immigration raids continued to rage Sunday after President Trump ordered the National Guard to Southern California. Some demonstrators in downtown L.A. dropped rocks from a freeway overpass onto police cruisers, while others vandalized government buildings, burned Waymo cars or burglarized businesses.

Mejia, Cole’s boss, is an outspoken critic of the Los Angeles Police Department. On Friday, Mejia voiced concerns about the presence of LAPD officers “within the vicinity of ICE raids.”

Mejia said he has asked for the department to turn over information about the financial impact of the raids on police resources. L.A. declared itself a “sanctuary” city last year, and Police Chief Jim McDonnell has repeatedly said that the LAPD is not involved in “civil immigration enforcement,” pointing to a decades-old policy.

“LAPD’s presence raises serious questions about whether we are abiding by our City’s mandate as a Sanctuary City and is a cause for concern and confusion regarding LAPD’s role,” Mejia said in a statement on social media.

An LAPD spokesperson did not have any details on the arrests when reached by The Times.

Jurado, a former tenant rights attorney, won a seat on the 15-member council in November. During the campaign, she described herself as an abolitionist — someone who supports the abolition of police and prisons.

During the campaign’s final weeks, Jurado was heard on a recording telling college students, “F— the police, that’s how I see ‘em.” She later issued a statement downplaying her remark, saying it was “just a lyric” from a rap song.

The City Council has scheduled a special meeting Tuesday to discuss the federal immigration raids — including “related threats to public service and facilities” — and has left open the possibility of a closed-door meeting with McDonnell on that topic.

NewsFeed

US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to combat the ongoing protests against ICE immigration raids in Los Angeles, citing ‘lawlessness’ in the city. Activists have called for a third day of protests Sunday in opposition to the immigration sweeps and national guard deployment.