A Democratic Illinois congressional candidate on Friday attempted to obstruct ICE operations during a rally at which protesters called for the shooting of federal agents.
Kat Abughazaleh, a former Media Matters for America staffer and current candidate in the Democratic primary for Illinois’s Ninth Congressional District, posted videos on X showing her attempts to prevent ICE officers from conducting their mission in the Cook County town of Broadview.
"At the Broadview ICE facility, an ICE agent tried to run dozens of protesters over with an SUV as we walked on a public crosswalk," Abughazaleh said in one post that depicts the crowd trying to block the vehicle. "He kept driving for about a full football field until ICE barraged us with pepper balls."
At the Broadview ICE facility, an ICE agent tried to run dozens of protesters over with an SUV as we walked on a public crosswalk.
He kept driving for about a full football field until ICE barraged us with pepper balls. pic.twitter.com/bGX7vh5o84
— Kat Abughazaleh (@KatAbughazaleh) September 26, 2025
Additional footage showed Abughazaleh sitting with fellow demonstrators—many of them masked—singing, "We Shall Not Be Moved" outside the Broadview ICE facility, but further video footage captured much more incendiary rhetoric. Protesters at the rally were caught on tape screaming "shoot ICE" and "shoot the f—ers."
Anti-ICE crowd chants 'Arrest ICE!" and 'Shoot ICE!" towards agents at the ICE facility in Broadview, IL.
One guy takes it further by adding, 'Shoot the fu*kers! Shoot the fu*kers!"@theblaze pic.twitter.com/QjMXQip535
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) September 26, 2025
The Friday incident occurred during a wave of leftist political violence. A gunman opened fire at an ICE facility on Wednesday, killing one, in an attack the FBI described as "politically motivated." Just over a week earlier, a left-wing radical assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk because he "had enough of [Kirk’s] hatred."
Abughazaleh, whose father is Palestinian, launched her campaign with a video that featured a keffiyeh prominently displayed on her wall, earning her praise from Arab media. Her campaign platform calls on the United States to reward Hamas terrorism by recognizing a Palestinian state, with another campaign promise being "no capitulation to fascists."
Abughazaleh is running in a crowded Democratic primary to replace 14-term octogenarian Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Abughazaleh has firmly staked herself out along the party’s far-left flank and has received the endorsement of progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (D., Calif.). Her most formidable opponent in the March 17, 2026, primary figures to be Evanston mayor Daniel Biss, who has tallied up endorsements from Democrats in both state and federal government.
In a statement provided to the Washington Free Beacon, Abughazaleh's campaign cast doubt on whether anyone at the demonstration had called for shooting ICE agents but condemned such sentiments.
"Tying this rhetoric to Kat is deeply irresponsible," a campaign representative said. "If these words were said at all, it was after she had left the event and entirely unaffiliated with her efforts. Kat stands for peaceful protest and the First Amendment, and does not want to see anyone get hurt. This rhetoric is wrong and dangerous, and Kat fully condemns it."
This story has been updated to include a statement from Abughazaleh's campaign.
