Democratic congressional candidate thrown to ground during chaotic anti-ICE protest

A viral video showing an Illinois Democratic congressional candidate being shoved to the ground during an anti-ICE protest in suburban Chicago has sparked online debate, with people on the left expressing outrage towards ICE, and conservatives place blame squarely on the protesters disrupting law enforcement operations.

Kat Abughazaleh, an activist, former reporter, and now Democratic candidate for Congress, posted the video to her X account on Friday, saying, "This is what it looks like when ICE violates our First Amendment rights."

The video showed armed, masked federal officials forcibly removing Abughazaleh, who is also wearing a mask, from the front of an ICE vehicle that she appeared to be blocking.

Other agents can be seen directing Abughazaleh and a group of protesters to get out of the way of the vehicle. One agent pushes Abughazaleh, who, despite resisting, flops onto the street.

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Another angle of the incident shows Abughazaleh immediately getting back up and charging the agents, who again push her back. Other protesters can be heard taunting the agents and shouting expletives.

In another X post, Abughazaleh wrote, "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."

Speaking with a reporter after the incident, Abughazaleh said, "We have no weapons. We have signs and chants and songs, and they are treating us like it's a war zone."

She said the vehicle she was attempting to block contained another protester who was arrested earlier in the morning.

"ICE came in and tried to drive the car through us. They almost ran someone over. We did not move, we stood strong, and that's when they brought out the pepper balls. That's when they brought out the tear gas," she said.

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Demonstrators protest outside Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago on Sept. 9, 2025, opposing the deployment of federal agents. (Talia Sprague/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In response, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused Abughazaleh of seeking attention for her campaign by attempting to "obstruct justice."  

McLaughlin told Fox News Digital, "This fame-hungry, cable TV candidate is so desperate for her 15-minutes of fame that she will go so far as to put our law enforcement at risk and obstruct justice."

Others on social media condemned Abughazaleh for attempting to interfere in a law enforcement operation.

Conservative commentator Greg Price posted that it was Abughazaleh's actions that resulted in her being "tossed to the ground."

"Impeding a federal ICE operation is a crime," he wrote.

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Federal officials arrest a criminal Mexican national for multiple illegal reentries during "Operation Midway Blitz."  (Fox News)

Another commentator, Paul Szypula, suggested that the government "arrest her immediately and prosecute her for her numerous federal crimes," saying, "Make a legal example out of this maniac."

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Local outlet ABC 7 reported that three protesters were arrested on Friday in Broadview, Illinois, after federal officials clashed with a group of protesters blocking ICE vehicles from entering and exiting the facility. The outlet reported that at one point, federal officials deployed riot control smoke to push back the crowds.

The outlet said protesters plan to continue the protests weekly as the Trump administration ramps up its "Operation Midway Blitz" to crack down on illegal immigrant crime in the Chicago area.

A spokesperson for ICE also commented on the incident, telling Fox News Digital, "Once an activist, always an activist."

"Kat Abughazaleh’s irresponsible behavior inciting violence and encouraging lawlessness puts a selfish publicity stunt over the safety of officers, facility employees and detainees," said the spokesperson. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Abughazaleh’s campaign for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.