Federal charges dropped against 3 protesters arrested outside ICE facility in Broadview last month
Federal prosecutors have dismissed charges against three of five protesters arrested outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview on the same day last month.
A grand jury refused to indict a Chicago couple, Jocelyn Robledo and Ray Collins, after they were originally charged in a criminal complaint with felony counts of assaulting of a federal officer.
The couple was accused of assaulting and resisting federal agents on Sept. 27 after they "refused to retreat" when agents tried to push back the perimeter around the ICE facility in Broadview due to the size of the crowd of protesters.
Robledo, 30, was accused of shoving agents and Collins, 31, was accused of charging at agents and yelling at them to get away from his fiancée after he saw the scuffle. The feds claimed Collins injured an ATF agent's thumb in the scuffle.
Prosecutors said both of them were also carrying guns at the time.
After their arrest, a federal judge released Robledo from custody, but ordered Collins held for bringing a loaded gun to a protest. Another judge later reversed that decision and allowed Collins to be released on bond, noting he had no criminal history.
At a hearing in their case on Wednesday, federal prosecutors informed a judge that a grand jury had decided not to indict the couple, so the government decided to drop all charges.
Meantime, federal prosecutors also dropped misdemeanor charges against 21-year-old Hubert Mazur, who was accused of forcibly resisting officers trying to push back the crowd on the same day Collins and Robledo were arrested. Federal prosecutors said, after reviewing additional body camera footage from the protest, they decided to drop all charges against Mazur.
Two other protesters arrested the same day still face federal charges. Paul Ivery, 26, of Oak Park, is accused of telling a federal agent "I'll f***ing kill you right now" and then grabbing an agent's helmet and pulling an agent's head down during a scuffle. Ivery has been charged with felony assault of a federal officer, and has been released under pretrial supervision.
Dana Briggs, a 70-year-old Air Force veteran, also has been charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Prosecutors have said he ignored orders to clear the street, and when he attempted to hand his cell phone to another protester, he allegedly swung his arm and struck a federal agent, causing the agent to experience pain in his wrist.
Briggs has been released from custody, and has said federal agents didn't give him time to move back after they started trying to clear the street.
"All I saw was a hand coming at me after I handed my phone off," he said. "I'm more appalled that they are going after normal everyday people. Did we say some things they probably didn't like? Fine, but free speech."
Illinois Veterans for Change and the American Civil Liberties Union have called the use of force against Briggs unacceptable.
Fellow veterans said their hope was to draw attention to the fact that Briggs was injured and detained for doing what he fought for. They said what he fought for includes being a patriot and protesting.
"This is not a partisan issue. It's not Democrat versus a Republican. This is just, are you willing to stand up for his right?" said Jesse Rojo, chair of Illinois Veterans for Change. "Are you willing to stand in solidarity to protect our democracy and say that due process is not something we can ignore, the Constitution is not something we can ignore, immigrants are not the enemy?"