Illinois congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh said she was injured Friday as a result of getting knocked to the ground by a U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement agent.
The incident took place during a demonstration outside of the Broadview ICE detention facility near Chicago. Abughazaleh, a Democrat seeking to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, posted a video on X, writing: “This is what it looks like when ICE violates our First Amendment rights.”
She added in a reply: “What ICE just did to me was a violent abuse of power — and it’s still nothing compared to what they’re doing to immigrant communities.”
This is what it looks like when ICE violates our First Amendment rights. pic.twitter.com/EneI3BAkPF
— Kat Abughazaleh (@KatAbughazaleh) September 19, 2025
The video shows a masked agent in camouflage fatigues picking up Abughazaleh by her torso and tossing her onto the pavement, where she landed abruptly on her right side, making a loud thud. She told MSNBC that she received minor injuries, without specifying.
Abughazaleh also said that ICE agents shouted “your First Amendment rights are on the sidewalk” at her and other protesters, while using tear gas and shooting pepper balls, some of which she said hit her.
“This escalation isn’t surprising,” she said. “We shouldn’t be shocked that ICE agents that are allowed to operate outside the law operate outside the law. This should be a processing facility, meaning people should not be held there for more than 12 hours at a time, but they are being held there for days, even weeks.”
The Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, said in a statement to MSNBC, “These fame hungry, sanctuary politicians are so desperate for their 15-minutes of fame that they will go so far as to put our law enforcement at risk and obstruct justice.”








