You turn to us for voices you won't hear anywhere else.

Sign up for Democracy Now!'s Daily Digest to get our latest headlines and stories delivered to your inbox every day.

Federal Prosecutor Resigns Under Protest over Failed Case Against “Broadview Six” ICE Protesters

HeadlineSep 28, 2026

In Chicago, the former lead prosecutor assigned to a high-profile case against six anti-ICE activists has resigned in protest, accusing the Trump administration of ignoring her legal advice as it pushed unwarranted felony charges. In a scathing resignation letter obtained by the Chicago Tribune, the prosecutor, Sheri Mecklenburg, accuses U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros of threatening to discipline or fire her if she attempts to defend herself against misconduct allegations. She writes, “You sent an office-wide email laying responsibility at my feet for a felony prosecution that you personally directed over my objection that the case was better suited to misdemeanor charges.” The “Broadview Six” were indicted for protesting outside an ICE jail last year during President Trump’s immigration crackdown known as Operation Midway Blitz. They faced felony charges for allegedly blocking an ICE vehicle, with a maximum sentence of six years in prison. The case was eventually thrown out by a U.S. district judge, who cited gross misconduct by prosecutors during grand jury proceedings.

The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us.

Non-commercial news needs your support

We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work.
Please do your part today.
Make a donation
Top