A federal judge in Chicago permanently dismissed all charges against four remaining anti-ICE protesters after prosecutors acknowledged grand jury misconduct in the closely watched Broadview Six case.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros moved to drop misdemeanor counts on May 21, days before trial was set to begin. U.S. District Judge April Perry said she was shocked by revelations that a prosecutor communicated with a grand juror outside proceedings and that jurors who disagreed with the government were prevented from participating in a second session.
The activists were originally indicted after protesting outside the Broadview ICE detention center during a September 2025 enforcement surge. Charges against two defendants were dropped earlier, and felony conspiracy counts against the others were abandoned amid scrutiny of redacted transcripts.
Perry dismissed the case with prejudice, barring refiling, and said she would consider sanctions against prosecutors. Boutros called the protesters’ conduct unacceptable but conceded the grand jury errors warranted dismissal. Former congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh was among those cleared.
The first grand jury returned a no true bill, prompting prosecutors to convene a second panel from which dissenting jurors were excluded, according to transcripts reviewed by news organizations. The Broadview Six protested during Operation Midway Blitz in September 2025 outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility. Judge April Perry said trust in the U.S. Attorney’s Office had been broken and floated possible sanctions against prosecutors.
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Sources:
https://dailycuratednews.substack.com/p/news-headlines-may-22-2026