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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 exterior an ICE facility close to Chicago.
What occurred? The indictment prices six individuals, together with two native elected officers and Kat Abughazaleh, a Democrat working for Congress on Chicago’s North Shore, with conspiring to intervene with and forcibly impeding a federal agent exterior 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 compelled to drive at an especially gradual charge of velocity to keep away from injuring any of the conspirators.” Video of the confrontation posted to X by Abughazaleh exhibits protesters chanting and making an attempt to dam the automobile.
Protests in opposition to 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 beneath rising authorized scrutiny; this week, a Border Patrol official was informed to seem in court docket each day as a choose scrutinizes use of power by brokers.
Why does this matter? This indictment is the newest in an alarming development of protesters, together with elected officers, being focused for prosecution by the Trump administration — on the similar time that federal immigration brokers have functionally been positioned above the legislation.
In Could, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested exterior 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] executed 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 frequently strive for within the Logoff, nevertheless it’s essential. Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica this week, killing no less than seven and doing billions of {dollars} in harm. It’s one of many strongest storms ever recorded, and restoration might be an extended, troublesome course of.
In case you really feel the urge to assist, my colleague Sara Herschander wrote a pointy, helpful piece about find out how to do probably the most good. She’s collected an inventory of reliable, efficient organizations to assist that may assist Jamaica, Haiti, and different impacted international locations get well now and within the months and years to return. You’ll find it right here. Thanks for studying, have an incredible night, and we’ll see you again right here tomorrow.
