A producer for a Chicago-based television news station was forcibly restrained and taken away in an unmarked van by masked federal agents on Friday. The incident occurred during a law enforcement operation in the Lincoln Square neighborhood.
According to reports, Debbie Brockman, a producer at WGN, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on suspicion of obstructing their work. A video captured by a bystander showed agents handcuffing Brockman after she was forced to lie on her stomach. During the arrest, she identified herself to the onlooker and requested that they inform her employer, WGN, of what had happened.
Brockman was then placed into an unmarked silver van and transported to an unspecified location. WGN released a statement indicating that it was aware of the situation and was working to gather more information.
Josh Thomas, a local resident who witnessed the incident, described seeing Brockman lying on the street as agents attempted to restrain her. He reported that the agents claimed she was being detained for obstruction, but Brockman denied the accusation.
This event took place one day after a judge issued a ruling prohibiting federal officials in the Northern District of Illinois from using riot weapons against members of the press, protestors, or religious practitioners who do not pose an immediate threat to law enforcement or others.
In recent weeks, federal immigration authorities have been accused of employing increasingly aggressive tactics in the Chicago area. These include attacking a journalist and a protesting priest with pepper balls, physically assaulting a congressional candidate, forcibly removing U.S. citizens—including children—from their homes during nighttime raids, and fatally shooting a man during a traffic stop.
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