University of Chicago Professor Arrested, Charged in Broadview Anti‑ICE Protests
University of Chicago associate professor Eman Abdelhadi was arrested Oct. 3, 2025, during protests outside the Broadview ICE processing center and is charged in Cook County with two counts of aggravated battery to a government employee and two counts of resisting/obstructing peace; she was released after an initial appearance and has requested a jury trial. Her social‑media posts and a recent podcast place her at the demonstration, and the university condemned violence but would not say whether she remains teaching; the arrest occurred amid large, sometimes violent, anti‑ICE protests tied to Operation Midway Blitz that federal officials say resulted in hundreds of arrests and the deployment of crowd‑control measures.
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📌 Key Facts
- Federal authorities launched 'Operation Midway Blitz' in the Chicago area on Sept. 8 as a multi-agency immigration enforcement campaign integrated with Border Patrol actions; Border Patrol agent Gregory Bovino was publicly linked to the push and ICE/DHS officials reported hundreds of arrests (Acting ERO chief Marcos Charles cited more than 400), while DHS later released a figure saying more than 1,000 arrests across Illinois.
- ICE/DHS say the operation focuses on immigration-law violators and criminal convictions but includes collateral arrests (about 40%–50% of arrests), a practice reinstated under the Trump administration; officials highlighted detained individuals with prior felony convictions.
- Protests outside the Broadview, IL ICE processing center escalated in September–October: demonstrators blocked vehicles and clashed with federal officers, who deployed tear gas, pepper balls and other less‑lethal munitions; DHS said multiple protesters were arrested, released images of firearms taken from protesters, and reported discovery of an apparent explosive device.
- Federal and local accounts diverged over on‑scene cooperation: DHS and ICE accused local/state authorities of failing to assist and of violent rioters confronting agents, while Broadview/Illinois officials denied failing to respond; a purported Chicago CAD screenshot saying officers were told not to respond was publicly disputed by CPD leadership.
- Journalists and bystanders were affected during the unrest: a CBS reporter, Asal Rezaei, said a pepper‑ball projectile struck her truck causing acute chemical exposure and Broadview Police opened a criminal investigation and requested DHS cooperation.
- Violent confrontations included vehicle incidents: federal agents reported being 'boxed in' and rammed near the facility; DHS said agents fired defensive shots that wounded U.S. citizen Marimar Martinez and named Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz as an additional apprehended suspect; the FBI announced investigations and federal charges (including assaulting federal officers under 18 U.S.C. §111) were filed in related incidents.
- Federal prosecutors and agencies have announced criminal charges tied to Broadview clashes — DOJ named multiple defendants alleging assaults and armed obstruction of federal agents, and ATF reported an agent was injured while assisting federal partners.
- University of Chicago Associate Professor Eman Abdelhadi was arrested Oct. 3 and charged with two counts of aggravated battery to a government employee (Class 3 felony) and two counts of resisting/obstructing peace (Class A misdemeanors); Cook County confirmed the arrest and release, court hearings are pending (she requested a jury trial), the university condemned violence but did not comment on her employment status, and her social media/podcast posts corroborate her presence at the Broadview rally.
- The enforcement and protests prompted high‑level political and law‑enforcement reactions: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and other federal officials strongly defended the operations, police unions condemned any local refusal to assist federal agents, and Illinois leaders (including Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth) publicly criticized federal tactics and called for oversight and documentation of federal actions.
📚 Contextual Background
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the federal agency responsible for apprehending and detaining people suspected of being undocumented immigrants in the United States.
📰 Sources (34)
University of Chicago condemns violence but dodges questions about professor arrested in anti-ICE riots
New information:
- University of Chicago issued a statement condemning violence and emphasizing campus safety but declined to say whether Prof. Eman Abdelhadi is still teaching.
- Abdelhadi’s university biography page remained active as of Wednesday morning.
- Court records indicate Abdelhadi requested a jury trial during a Monday appearance in Cook County; her attorney declined to comment.
- Abdelhadi posted on X before her arrest criticizing state police guarding the Broadview ICE facility and later thanked supporters on Bluesky after charges.
Far-left University of Chicago professor charged with violent felonies during anti-ICE riots in Broadview
New information:
- Associate Professor Eman Abdelhadi (University of Chicago, Department of Comparative Human Development) was arrested Oct. 3, 2025 and charged with two counts of aggravated battery to a government employee (Class 3 felony) and two counts of resisting/obstructing peace (Class A misdemeanor).
- Cook County Sheriff's Office confirmed the arrest; Abdelhadi was released after her initial appearance and a court record shows her next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
- Social media and podcast activity: posts and a recent podcast interview (Movement Memos/Truthout) confirm she was at the Broadview rally and include quoted remarks criticizing ICE and the University of Chicago.
FIRST ON FOX: DHS chief slams ‘violent anarchists,’ pledges full support for federal agents
New information:
- Direct, attributable statement from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem explicitly calling protesters 'violent anarchists' and pledging 'President Trump and I have your backs.'
- Named identification of Wilmer Alexander Gonzalez Garaban as an arrested Venezuelan who DHS alleges is a confirmed member of Tren de Aragua.
- Detailed list of additional arrested individuals with alleged prior convictions (Abrahan Alfonzo Jimenez Rodriguez; Luis Arroyo-Telles; Arturo Guzman; Uriel Alvarez-Meneses; Ricardo Gervasio-Gervasio; Pedro Navajas-Contreras) and descriptions of their alleged criminal histories.
- DHS claim that agents were 'rammed and trapped by 10 vehicles' during the weekend confrontations.
Chicago's police chief puts criminals on notice after federal agents targeted in weekend confrontations
New information:
- Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling publicly denied reports that CPD officers were ordered to 'stand down' and provided a minute‑by‑minute timeline of events.
- Named suspects: Marimar Martinez (shot and wounded) and Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz (arrested) in separate vehicle‑ramming incidents involving federal agents.
- Operational details and counts: the superintendent said 27 CPD officers were exposed to federal tear gas and cited '22 incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday' resulting in 29 shooting victims and four murders (per city police records).
Blue city records 22 shootings and four murders over the weekend amid feud with feds
New information:
- Quantified citywide weekend crime toll: 22 shootings, 29 victims and 4 murders reported between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
- Specific victim examples (16‑year‑old with hand wound from alleged drive‑by, a 62‑year‑old and a 23‑year‑old shot in legs while in a garage, and a 33‑year‑old fatally shot after an argument).
- Affirmation that two drivers were arrested in the Broadview ramming incident and DHS statement that officers fired defensive shots and one suspect carried a semiautomatic weapon.
- Reference to an internal Chicago CAD screenshot (Oct. 4, 2025) instructing officers not to respond to a call for help from ICE agents and CPD’s public denial calling such claims 'misinformation.'
FBI Director Kash Patel vows justice after DHS agent's vehicle rammed in Chicago
New information:
- FBI Director Kash Patel quote vowing justice and announcing arrests.
- Names of two suspects in the car-ramming: Marimar Martinez and Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz.
- Specific federal charges invoked: assaulting federal officers under 18 U.S.C. §§111(a) and (b).
- Allegation Martinez was armed with a semi-automatic weapon, was 'discharged from the hospital' and placed in FBI custody, and that she had a history of doxxing federal agents.
National police union calls Chicago's refusal to help ICE agents 'shocking' violation of duty
New information:
- Formal condemnation and direct quotes from National Fraternal Order of Police President Patrick Yoes.
- Formal condemnation and quotes from Illinois State FOP President Chris Southwood emphasizing the duty to assist officers in danger.
- Union leaders cite the Illinois Trust Act and a DHS/ICE claim of a 1,000% increase in violence against ICE agents this year as context for strained local‑federal cooperation.
Chicago police ordered not to respond after car-ramming attack on federal agents: sources
New information:
- Fox reviewed a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) screenshot showing Chicago's chief of patrol instructed officers not to respond to a call for help (CAD timestamp 04-Oct-2025/12:34:44).
- The woman struck by defensive shots is identified as U.S. citizen Marimar Martinez and DHS said she was named in a CBP intelligence bulletin and drove herself to the hospital.
- DHS named an additional apprehended suspect: Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, allegedly involved in the ramming.
- Direct quote/statement from FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino calling the attack 'serious' and vowing investigations/prosecutions.
- CAD message details: caller described as one of 'approx 30 armed patrol agents (ICE)' and agents reported being 'surrounded' and 'boxed in'—corroborating earlier reporting of 'boxed in by 10 cars.'
Transcript: Sen. Tammy Duckworth on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Oct. 5, 2025
New information:
- Sen. Duckworth on Oct. 5, 2025 reiterated and amplified criticism of federal immigration enforcement tactics in Chicago, calling them 'Gestapo tactics' and alleging aggressive treatment (zip-tying children, night raids) — statements that are on-record in the transcript.
- She urged protesters to remain peaceful and to 'tape everything' to document federal actions, providing explicit guidance to constituents and protesters in Chicago.
- Duckworth referenced the reported shooting of a Chicago woman in the Brighton Park area and questioned federal accounts, calling for documentation and oversight.
Feds shoot woman in Chicago suburb after allegedly being rammed, boxed in by cars
New information:
- Federal agents say they were "boxed in by 10 cars" and were rammed while patrolling near the Broadview ICE facility.
- DHS/ICE say agents opened fire and struck a female driver who was taken to a hospital; DHS alleges one of the boxed‑in drivers had a semiautomatic weapon.
- DHS claimed the woman was named in a CBP intelligence bulletin last week for doxxing agents; the FBI posted that it is investigating violence against officers and obstruction related to Broadview enforcement.
Pritzker says Trump administration intends to federalize 300 Illinois National Guard members
New information:
- Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says the Trump administration intends to federalize 300 Illinois National Guard members.
- Pritzker asserts he was given an ultimatum: call up state troops or the federal government will federalize them.
- The governor directly quoted the ultimatum and publicly refused to call up the Guard, calling the demand 'outrageous and un‑American.'
DHS says ICE agents in Chicago suburb 'boxed in by 10 cars' as tensions escalate
New information:
- DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said ICE agents were 'boxed in by 10 cars' while on patrol in Broadview, Illinois.
- McLaughlin reported one driver was armed with a semi-automatic weapon and that agents 'were forced to deploy their weapons and fire defensive shots' at an armed U.S. citizen.
- The armed woman is reportedly named in a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intelligence bulletin, per DHS.
Federal agents nab 1,000+ illegal aliens in major Illinois sweep: ‘Making the state safe again’
New information:
- DHS explicitly reported 'more than 1,000' arrests across Illinois tied to Operation Midway Blitz.
- The Fox News piece reproduces a DHS list naming multiple alleged arrestees (by name and alleged prior offenses), providing concrete examples the DHS release highlighted.
- The operation is said to have launched Sept. 8, 2025 'in honor of' Katie Abraham (as described in the article) — a specific origin/date detail not in the earlier, broader coverage.
- Direct quotation from DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin declaring, 'Operation Midway Blitz is making Illinois safe again.'
DHS rips ‘dishonest, desperate’ Gen Z candidate who raged against Kristi Noem’s 'crimes’ at anti-ICE protest
New information:
- Names the protester and Illinois congressional candidate: Kat Abughazaleh, who publicly accused DHS Secretary Kristi Noem of 'crimes against humanity' at the Broadview protest.
- Provides an on‑the‑record DHS quote from Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin calling the candidate 'dishonest, desperate and demonizing law enforcement' and accusing her of obstructing justice.
- Mentions the viral video context (an ICE agent shoving Abughazaleh on Sept. 19, 2025) and that Noem visited the facility during ongoing protests.
DHS Secretary Noem 'blocked' from bathroom at Illinois government building, as Pritzker feud heats up
New information:
- DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and her staff say they were denied access to the Village of Broadview Municipal Building while seeking a 'quick bathroom break'; video shows someone inside saying, 'No you cannot!'
- Broadview officials say Noem arrived unannounced seeking a meeting while Mayor Katrina Thompson was out of the building and that the mayor subsequently went to the ICE center to press for fence removal; DHS disputes the characterization and says the stop was only to use the restroom
- Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker publicly accused Noem of overseeing tactics that 'violated rights' and said she should face public accountability for enforcement actions in Illinois
Over a dozen arrested at anti-ICE protests in Chicago suburb
New information:
- Eyewitness account of roughly 250 anti‑ICE protesters outside the Broadview processing center on Oct. 3, 2025 and reporting that 'more than a dozen' people were arrested that day.
- On-scene use of crowd-control munitions described as pepper balls, tear gas and rubber bullets to clear crowds blocking federal operations.
- DOJ earlier announced (Sept. 29) five named defendants charged federally with assaulting or resisting federal agents in Broadview — Paul Ivery, Dana Briggs, Hubert Mazur, Ray Collins and Jocelyne Robledo — with allegations that two defendants had loaded firearms and one allegedly threatened to 'kill' agents.
- ATF Special Agent Christopher Amon is quoted saying an ATF agent was injured during assaults on federal partners at the facility and stressing ATF will work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold those responsible accountable.
ICE chief fires back at Chicago-area mayor, cites ‘violent rioters’ after weeks of Broadview unrest
New information:
- Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons sent a follow-up letter to Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson criticizing her for 'heating up the rhetoric' and enabling agitators to escalate violence.
- ICE stated that in the 'past week alone' protesters have been arrested for assault and obstruction and that three arrested individuals were carrying loaded firearms to protest at the Broadview processing center.
- Mayor Katrina Thompson had sent a letter accusing ICE of 'making war' on her community and 'endangering nearby village residents'; ICE responded accusing her of 'distorting reality.'
- ICE alleges repeated requests for assistance from state and local law enforcement (including Broadview Police Department) went unanswered, forcing federal officers to take crowd-control measures (tear gas, pepper balls) to protect operations.
Investigation launched after feds shot pepper ball at CBS Chicago reporter's truck
New information:
- Broadview Police Department has launched a criminal investigation into the incident.
- Police Chief Thomas Mills issued a statement saying the department expects full cooperation from DHS in the probe.
- CBS reporter Asal Rezaei provided an on‑the‑record account that a masked ICE agent fired a pepper ball from the direction of the facility, striking her truck’s driver‑side panel and causing chemical exposure; she declined medical attention.
Things to know about federal law enforcement activity in Chicago, Portland, Memphis
New information:
- Provides broader context that dozens of armed federal agents (CBP/Border Patrol) patrolled downtown Chicago (Michigan Avenue, Chicago River) in full tactical gear during the same weekend;
- Names Border Patrol agent Gregory Bovino among agents on downtown patrols and reports his comment that there were 'several arrests', plus local leaders’ strong public criticism (Mayor Johnson, Gov. Pritzker).
Investigation launched after feds shot pepper ball at CBS Chicago reporter's truck
New information:
- Broadview Police Department has launched a criminal investigation into an incident in which a pepper‑ball projectile fired from the direction of the ICE facility struck a CBS Chicago reporter's truck.
- Reporter Asal Rezaei reported acute chemical exposure (face burning, vomiting) after a pepper ball hit the driver's‑side panel; she declined medical attention at the scene.
- Police Chief Thomas Mills publicly requested full cooperation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in the local criminal probe; DHS had not responded to CBS at time of reporting.
+ 14 more sources