DOWNTOWN — Federal prosecutors walked back more charges Friday against demonstrators arrested while protesting the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement blitz as court challenges continue to mount.
That includes a two-week restraining order signed Thursday by U.S. District Judge April Perry temporarily blocking a federal mobilization of the National Guard. Officials previously intended to station troops on the plaza near the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn St., on Friday during immigration-related hearings. But no troops could be seen near the courthouse following Perry’s order.
No more than six protesters were outside the courthouse Friday as judges inside openly questioned the evidence prosecutors had to pursue criminal charges against protesters who had been arrested in recent weeks.
Charges were dropped against a high school cafeteria worker and reduced against a Air Force veteran, both of whom were accused of impeding federal agents as they pushed back protests near the ICE processing facility in west suburban Broadview.
Four of 15 cases have now been dropped involving protesters accused of attacking or impeding federal agents, which have often come out of sworn affidavits from other agents. That’s while key court decisions this week limited ICE’s ability to make warrantless arrests, fire chemical agents at peaceful protesters and journalists or make arrests of journalists not suspected of committing crimes.
“Violent arrests of people exercising their First Amendment rights is part of Trump’s weaponization of the legal system,” said Madeline Townsend, an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild Chicago, which has been observing protesters in Broadview, in a statement Friday. “These are political prosecutions to gin up the narrative that the federal government wants and are disconnected from reality. … Trump’s DHS is simply not credible.”
Fences surround the Dirksen Federal Building, 219 S. Dearborn St., on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. Credit: Vincent D. Johnson/Block Club Chicago
4th Broadview Protester Sees Charges Dropped
Paul Ivery, a cafeteria worker at Oak Park and River Forest High School, walked out of the courthouse Friday after prosecutors dropped charges accusing him of threatening a federal agent before a physical struggle outside the Broadview facility.
Ivery, who has an intellectual disability, had gone to Broadview to protest how ICE had treated local police officers, said Scott Sakiyama, acting as a spokesperson for Ivery on Friday.
Ivery’s arrest was the start of a “jarring” ordeal during which he spent four days in jail, Sakiyama said.
He wasn’t sure if Ivery planned to go to another protest.
“Broadview is a very scary place right now,” Sakiyama said. “Paul is happy to be home, very happy to have this done, and he’s encouraging people to continue to peacefully protest.”
Earlier this week, the case against a couple arrested at a Broadview protest was dropped after a grand jury refused to indict, a move their veteran defense attroney called a “once-in-a-lifetime for me,” telling Block Club that prosecutors had “less evidence than a ham sandwich” against his client.
Before her decision blocking a deployment of the National Guard, Perry expressed doubt over Homeland Security’s “credibility and assessment” in Chicago — citing the dropped charges against protesters.
Illinois State Police troopers and Cook County Sheriff deputies shove protesters during a protest outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility in Broadview on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Talia Sprague/Block Club Chicago) Credit: Talia Sprague/Block Club Chicago
Other Protester Prosecutions Continue
Federal prosecutors also downgraded felony charges to a misdemeanor against Dana Briggs, a 70-year-old Air Force veteran accused of punching a Border Patrol agent in the arm near the Broadview facility.
Briggs’ attorney asked to push up the date for a jury trial. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes, who has presided over a number of initial hearings for Broadview protesters, asked prosecutors to pass on video evidence related to the charges against Briggs and another protester by the end of the day.
“It’s in the government possession. You represent the government, don’t you?” Fuentes said. “I have a criminal defendant who wants a trial and wants it soon, and he’s going to get it.”
The case against Cole Sheridan — accused of physically resisting orders to move back and shoving Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino in Broadview — was allowed to continue only after Magistrate Judge Heather K. McShain said prosecutors “met its very low burden” for probable cause.
“Without video of the actual physical exchange … there is only the evidence of the hearsay statement of Bovino,” McShain said.
The attorney for a man accused of placing a $10,000 bounty on Bovino did not contest his detention ahead of his next hearing. Federal officials have also accused the man, Juan Espinoza Martinez, of being a member of the Latin Kings street gang.
In a statement Friday, Jonathan Bedi, who is representing Martinez, denied that his client had any gang affiliation and said he was “innocent of these charges.”
“Juan is a longtime Chicago resident and the father of three kids. Juan has resided in the United States for 30 years, and throughout his time in Chicago, he has had no prior criminal history or gang affiliation,” Bedi said. “As a dedicated union member, Juan has consistently worked to provide for his family while contributing positively to the community. He even coaches his kids’ sports teams.”
On Thursday, a federal grand jury meanwhile returned an indictment against Marimar Martinez, 30, who was shot by federal agents Saturday after following them with her car in Brighton Park. After being treated, Martinez was arrested and federally charged last week.
Martinez’s attorney denied she rammed a federal agent’s car before the shooting, saying body-camera footage shows the agent shouting “do something, b—-” before pulling over.
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