Crime & Law
Feds to Dismiss Conspiracy Charges Against Remaining ‘Broadview Six’ Defendants
The Dirksen Courthouse is pictured in Chicago. (Capitol News Illinois)
Federal prosecutors have dismissed felony conspiracy charges against the remaining members of the “Broadview Six,” and instead intend to proceed to trial on lesser misdemeanor counts in the politically charged case.
The announcement came during a pretrial hearing Wednesday before U.S. District Judge April Perry in the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago, court records show.
An initial indictment against the group alleged they conspired to surround an ICE vehicle, “with the intent to hinder and impede” a federal agent from proceeding to the Broadview facility and “discharging the duties of his office.”
Already prosecutors dropped all charges against two of the six initial defendants, Catherine Sharp and Joselyn Walsh. But the four others — Kat Abughazaleh, Michael Rabbitt, Andre Martin and Brian Straw — are still set to go to trial. Prosecutors now intend to file a superseding indictment that only includes misdemeanor charges.
Even so, Abughazaleh said the decision to drop the conspiracy charges is a “huge win.”
“This case has cost myself, one of my closest friends, and four others immeasurable amounts of stress, money, and opportunity,” she said in a social media post Wednesday. “But the federal government knew they couldn’t try this BS and had to drop the felony charge.”
The charges stem from a confrontation on Sept. 26, 2025, between protesters and federal agents outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in west suburban Broadview.
Congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, left, is seen along with a crowd around a vehicle on Sept. 26, 2025, outside the Broadview ICE facility. (Credit: Kat Abughazaleh)
The criminal case has been among the most high-profile incidents stemming from the Trump administration’s expanded immigration enforcement efforts in and around Chicago last year known as “Operation Midway Blitz.”
That trial was scheduled for next month, but Wednesday’s announcement may mean that date will be pushed back.
Andrew Boutros, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, has said his office is “constantly evaluating the facts and law” in its Operation Midway Blitz cases, along with “new information when it is brought to our attention.”
He repeated that sentiment Wednesday and said the decision to drop the conspiracy charges demonstrated “that we are fully prepared to adjust our positions to adhere to that standard.”
“Our commitment to do the right thing is unwavering in all cases,” Boutros said in a statement.
Straw’s attorney Chris Parente called the case “a failure since the beginning” and said the initial charges “should never have been brought.”
“The government was never going to be able to prove their conspiracy argument at trial, and they’ve given up before we even get there,” he said in a statement. “We are relieved the most serious charges in this case have been dropped, but we’re very angry that they (were) brought at all and that we are still on track to go to trial.”
Attorneys for the defendants had sought evidence showing the White House had pushed for their arrests due to their vocal criticism of the Trump administration.
Prosecutors have said no such communication exists and their case was never influenced by anyone in Washington.
Abughazaleh, a political candidate and former journalist, finished in second place behind Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss in the 15-person Democratic primary race in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District.
Sharp, who had been running to represent the 12th District on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, suspended her own campaign in January, citing the criminal case against her. Rabbitt serves as a 45th Ward Democratic committeeperson, while Straw is an Oak Park Village Board trustee.
While the group that allegedly surrounded and interfered with the ICE vehicle consisted of far more people than just the defendants, prosecutors said many of them were masked and could not be identified. Those who were identified and not charged were “not similarly situated from an evidentiary and proof perspective,” prosecutors said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
