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The progressive congressional candidate, an left-leaning hopeful running for the House of Representatives, has been indicted on charges related to involvement in demonstrations outside an ICE processing facility near the Chicago area in September.

The Federal Charges

Federal court documents, submitted recently, claim that the 26-year old American of Palestinian descent candidate and five other individuals “physically hindered and impeded” an officer who was “forced to drive at an extremely slow rate of speed” to prevent harm to the protesters.

Abughazaleh, who is running for a congressional seat in Illinois, was charged with conspiracy to forcibly impede or injure a federal agent as well as assaulting or impeding the agent while they were performing official duties.

Alleged Actions During Protest

According to the indictment, those involved “planned together with others” to prevent by force, intimidation, and threat, Agent A, from performing official tasks.

It alleged the candidate, together with the group, “struck forcefully” on the officer’s car, “gathered closely around the front and side” of the car and also “pressed on the car to block its progress”.

The charging documents state that the group etched the word “pig” on to the vehicle and damaged a side mirror and rear wiper.

Additionally, it is claimed the candidate in particular “positioned herself with others in front of the official car”, and with her hands on the hood braced her body and hands against the vehicle while staying directly in the car’s way, hindering and impeding the agent.

Defendant’s Statement

After the charges were filed, Abughazaleh, who is known for her large social media platform, called the indictment “a politically motivated case”.

“This is a … gross attempt at silencing dissent, a right protected under the first amendment. These charges are part of a pattern by the current administration to outlaw protest and penalize vocal critics. That is the reason I will contest these unfair allegations,” she stated.

She continued: “While we were practicing our First Amendment rights, immigration officers have struck, pulled, thrown, fired pepper balls at, and used tear gas on numerous demonstrators, including me. Simply because we had the gall to say masked men abducting our neighbors and terrorizing our community cannot be the new normal.

“This prosecution aims at our freedoms to demonstrate, express opinions, and connect with those who oppose government actions … I’ve spent my career fighting America’s backwards slide towards fascism and I’m not going to give up now,” she continued.

Wider Implications

The indictment comes as the Trump administration ramps up federal immigration raids across numerous progressive cities including Chicago – a move which has been harshly criticized by local and state leaders.

The raids have drawn widespread opposition from the public, congressional Democratic lawmakers and civil rights groups, including the ACLU characterizing them as an expansion of a national paramilitary force intended to strengthen executive authority.