Charges Against Broadview Protesters Dropped After Feds Admit To Grand Jury 'Errors'

[douglas9]

CHICAGO — Charges against four Broadview protesters accused of impeding immigration officers were dropped Thursday after the U.S. Attorney’s Office made the extraordinary admission that federal prosecutors had committed misconduct during the grand jury proceedings that led to charges being filed in the first place.

The dismissal of all charges against the four protesters quickly followed U.S. District Judge April Perry’s decision to shelve the start of the trial in the case, which was slated for next week. Perry’s decision came after a closed-door hearing Thursday in which she outlined misconduct at the hands of prosecutors, officials said.

It’s the latest twist in one of the most high-profile prosecutions to emerge from last year’s Operation Midway Blitz. It began as a felony conspiracy case involving six defendants that turned into four facing misdemeanor charges: Kat Abughazaleh, Michael Rabbitt, Andre Martin and Brian Straw. Cat Sharp and Jocelyn Walsh were also originally charged, but prosecutors dropped all charges against them in March.

After previously dropping the conspiracy case against the four remaining defendants, prosecutors moved forward with a misdemeanor charge of “impeding” a federal officer during a September protest in Broadview.

https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/05/21/trial-date-for-broadview-protesters-vacated-just-days-ahead-of-expected-start/