Cook County Assessor calls charges blatant political retribution meant to criminalize protest and free speech

CHICAGO — Today, the Trump administration announced charges against six Cook County candidates and local officials for their participation in protests at the Broadview ICE facility, including congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, County Board candidate Cat Sharp, and Committee person Michael Rabbit. 

The charges represent the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s targeting of political opponents, and the announcement comes just one day after a federal judge called Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino into federal court to respond to reports that ICE agents violated court orders limiting use of force. 

In response, Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, who has attended protests at the Broadview ICE facility, released the following statement in support of the Broadview Six:

“These charges are flat-out un-American, the type of thing you see in dictatorships. Trump is politicizing the court system and we should all call it out for what it is: revenge. 

“They’re only doing this because they can’t justify what ICE agents are doing to our communities. It’s an attempt to intimidate people into silence, but it won’t work. People are fed up with masked agents terrorizing Chicago, and any jury should see right through these bogus charges. I stand with the Broadview Six and everyone else speaking out against what Trump is doing to our city.”