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Welcome to The Logoff: A federal grand jury in Illinois has indicted six individuals, together with a Democratic congressional candidate, for collaborating in a September protest outdoors an ICE facility close to Chicago.
What occurred? The indictment costs six individuals, together with two native elected officers and Kat Abughazaleh, a Democrat operating for Congress on Chicago’s North Shore, with conspiring to intervene with and forcibly impeding a federal agent outdoors of an ICE facility within the Chicago suburb of Broadview.
The indictment alleges that, amongst different actions, the individuals charged “bodily hindered and impeded Agent A and the Authorities Automobile such that Agent A was pressured to drive at a particularly gradual fee of velocity to keep away from injuring any of the conspirators.” Video of the confrontation posted to X by Abughazaleh exhibits protesters chanting and trying to dam the automotive.
Protests towards the crackdown have usually centered on the Broadview ICE facility, and peaceable protesters — together with Abughazaleh and members of the clergy — have repeatedly been assaulted and tear-gassed by federal brokers. Such techniques have been below growing authorized scrutiny; this week, a Border Patrol official was instructed to seem in court docket each day as a choose scrutinizes use of pressure by brokers.
Why does this matter? This indictment is the most recent in an alarming development of protesters, together with elected officers, being focused for prosecution by the Trump administration — on the identical time that federal immigration brokers have functionally been positioned above the regulation.
In Might, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested outdoors an ICE facility, and Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver was later charged with forcibly impeding an officer; my colleague Ian Millhiser described the McIver indictment as presumably “probably the most anti-democratic factor [Trump has] completed since January 6.”
And with that, it’s time to sign off…
Hello readers, bear with me right here: It is a much less cheerful closing observe than we regularly attempt for within the Logoff, however it’s essential. Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica this week, killing not less than seven and doing billions of {dollars} in injury. It’s one of many strongest storms ever recorded, and restoration might be an extended, troublesome course of.
When you really feel the urge to assist, my colleague Sara Herschander wrote a pointy, helpful piece about do probably the most good. She’s collected an inventory of reliable, efficient organizations to help that can assist Jamaica, Haiti, and different impacted international locations get better now and within the months and years to return. You will discover it right here. Thanks for studying, have an amazing night, and we’ll see you again right here tomorrow.
