Six Charged in Federal Indictment for Blocking Immigration Agent in Chicago Suburb

A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted six individuals for allegedly 
forcibly impeding and interfering with a federal agent who was engaged in 
immigration enforcement operations in a Chicago suburb last month.  The 
indictment includes a conspiracy charge against all of the defendants 
arising out of the incident.

According to an indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the 
defendants were among a crowd of people who surrounded a government 
vehicle with the intent to hinder and impede the driver—a federal 
agent—from proceeding to a United States Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement facility in Broadview, Ill., on Sept. 26, 2025.  

“No one is above the law and no one has the right to obstruct it,” said 
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.  “Federal agents perform dangerous, 
essential work every single day to enforce our immigration laws and keep 
our communities safe.  When individuals resort to force or intimidation to 
interfere with that mission, they attack not only the agents themselves 
but the rule of law they represent. The Department of Justice will never 
tolerate such conduct and will continue to hold accountable anyone who 
seeks to impede lawful federal operations.”

Video shows the defendants and others allegedly crowded together in the 
front and side of the government vehicle, standing in its path, banging on 
the car and windows, and pushing against it to hinder and impede its 
movement.  The conspirators broke one of the vehicle’s side mirrors and 
the rear windshield wiper and etched a derogatory message into the body of 
the vehicle, the indictment states.

“All federal officials must be able to discharge the duties of their 
office without confronting force, intimidation, or threats,” said Andrew 
S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.  
“As we have warned repeatedly, we will seek to hold accountable those who 
cross the line from peaceful protests to unlawful actions or conspiracies 
that interrupt, hinder, or impede the due administration of Justice.  The 
rule of law must always be upheld.”

Charged with conspiracy to impede a U.S. law enforcement officer and 
individual counts of impeding a U.S. law enforcement officer are Michael 
Rabbitt, 62, of Chicago; Katherine Marie Abughazaleh, 26, of Chicago; 
Andre Martin, 27, of Providence, R.I.; Catherine Sharp, 29, of Chicago; 
Brian Straw, 38, of Oak Park, Ill.; and Joselyn Walsh, 31, of Chicago.

Arraignments are scheduled for Nov. 5, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., before U.S. 
Magistrate Judge Heather K. McShain.

Deputy Attorney General Blanche and U.S. Attorney Boutros announced the 
charges along with Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the 
Chicago Field Office of the FBI.

“The FBI has zero tolerance for forcible criminal conduct against law 
enforcement officers engaged in their lawful functions,” said FBI SAC 
DePodesta.  “Impeding federal officers performing their duties or 
conspiring to do so are criminal offenses.  The people of Chicagoland 
deserve safe communities and peaceful streets and the FBI and our partners 
will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who undermine the 
rule of law through criminal activity.”

If you recognize other individuals in the video who may be impeding law 
enforcement, you are encouraged to contact the FBI Chicago Field Office by 
logging on to https://tips.fbi.gov/home.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/scott-mcclallen/2025/10/30/six-charged-in-
federal-indictment-for-blocking-immigration-agent-in-chicago-suburb-
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