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A viral video showing Illinois Democratic Congress candidate being pushed to the ground Anti-ice protest Chicago sparked online debate in the suburbs, with people on the left expressing anger at the ice, and conservatives blame protesters for undermining law enforcement actions.
Kat Abughazaleh, an activist, former journalist, now Democratic candidates For Congress, the video posted it to her X account on Friday and said: “This is what it looks like when we violate our First Amendment rights.”
The video shows armed, masked federal officials forcibly removed Abughazaleh, who also wore a mask, from the front of the ice truck, who appeared to be blocking.
Other agents can be seen instructing Abughazaleh and a group of protesters to get out of the vehicle. A broker pushed Abughazaleh and dragged it down the street despite his resistance.
ICE deploys tear gas when Chicago protesters block vehicles
Another angle of the incident shows that Abughazaleh immediately stood up and accused the agents, who pushed her back again. Other protesters can be heard mocking agents and yelling.
In another X post, Abughazaleh wrote: “What Ice did to me is violently abuse of power – and that still doesn’t compare to what they do to the immigrant community.”
Speaking to reporters after the incident, Abughazaleh said: “We have no weapons. We have signs, odes and songs, and they treat us like war zones.”
She said the vehicle she tried to stop carries another protester, who was arrested early in the morning.
“Ice comes in and try to drive the car past us. They almost ran away. We didn’t move, we stood up, that’s when they took out the pepper balls. That’s when they brought out the tear gas.”
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Demonstrators protested on September 9, 2025 at the Trump International Hotel and outside the Tower in Chicago, opposing the deployment of federal agents. (Talia Sprague/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In response, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused Abughazaleh of trying to “stop justice” to seek her campaign.
McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that “this cable candidate, who is so eager for her 15-minute celebrity that she will put our law enforcement officers at risk and hinder justice.”
Others on social media condemned Abughazaleh’s attempt to interfere in law enforcement actions.
Conservative commentator Greg Price said it was Abughazaleh’s move that caused her to be “thrown to the ground”.
“Stamping federal ice operations is a crime,” he wrote.
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Federal officials arrested a criminal Mexican national for several illegal reentering during Operation Midway Blitz. (Fox News)
Another commentator, Paul Szypula, suggested that the government “arrest her immediately and prosecut her for many of her federal crimes,” said, “taking this kind of madman as an example.”
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Local export ABC 7 Three protesters were arrested Friday in Broview, Illinois, after federal officials clashed with a group of protesters ice trucks entered and left the facility. The media reported that federal officials deployed riot control smoke at some point to delay crowds.
Media says protesters plan to continue protests every week Trump administration Strengthen its “Operation Midway Blitz” to combat illegal immigration crimes in the Chicago area.
An ICE spokesperson also commented on the incident and told Fox News Digital that “was an activist, always an activist.”
“The irresponsible behavior of Kat Abughazaleh incited violence and encouraged lawless behavior, allowing the safety of officials, facility employees and detainees to promote selfish stunts,” the spokesperson said.
Fox News Digital contacted Abughazaleh’s comments campaign but received no immediate response.
