Kat Abughazaleh on the Right to Protest

Nov 1, 2025

Kat Abughazaleh, a journalist, activist, and Illinois congressional candidate, discusses her recent federal indictment over a protest against ICE. She argues that the charges are an attack on free speech and highlights the urgent need for elected officials to stand with their constituents. Abughazaleh shares her experiences of police violence and emphasizes the importance of community organizing. She advocates for bold activism within the Democratic Party and vows to continue fighting for civil rights despite legal threats.

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INSIGHT

Indictment As An Attack On Free Speech

Kat Abughazaleh frames the indictment as a direct assault on free speech and the right to protest by the government.
She argues criminalizing protest threatens constitutional protections and chills dissent.

ANECDOTE

Witnessing Harsh Conditions At Broadview

Kat recounts witnessing inhumane conditions at Broadview, including people carried out in stretchers and denied water.
She says protesters face brutal responses from ICE that are visible on camera and likely worse behind closed doors.

ADVICE

Leaders Must Physically Stand With Constituents

Kat urges elected officials to physically stand with constituents by visiting ICE facilities and policing patrols.
She insists words alone aren't enough and leaders must act on their promises.

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Illinois congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh was charged earlier this week with federal conspiracy charges for protesting outside of Broadview ICE Processing Center last month.

Along with five others, Abughazaleh was indicted on felony charges for assaulting and conspiring to injure law enforcement officers. The 11-page indictment alleges the protesters “banged aggressively” on a federal agent's car and “pushed against the vehicle to hinder and impede its movement.” They also allegedly scratched the word “pig” onto the vehicle.

Abughazaleh, a candidate in the Democratic primary for Illinois’s 9th Congressional District, spoke to The Intercept Briefing just days after the charges were unsealed. “This case against me, this indictment, is a clear attack on free speech, freedom of association, the right to protest,” she says. “This indictment is so breathtaking in just how obviously it is trying to criminalize the right to protest. And it's ludicrous to me that any elected official that's sworn to protect the Constitution wouldn't look at it and think, where the hell are we right now?”

At an earlier protest at the same facility, the former journalist was filmed being slammed to the ground by ICE agents. That video went viral sparking outrage, and she’s urging other elected officials to fight back. “I feel like we as citizens are told to do so much — and then our leaders aren’t matching that. Part of it is they’re scared. This is a scary time. And there are threats from the administration, but also supporters. We've had a rise in political violence,” Abughazaleh challenges. “And this sounds callous, but you asked hundreds of thousands of people to vote for you. You asked to represent them. This is a job. You need to do your job even if you're scared, because that's what people deserve from their leaders.”

The protesters are set to appear in court for their arraignment on November 5. If convicted, they could face up to six years in prison.

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