Leftist Professor Charged After Violent Anti-ICE Riots Rock Chicago
A University of Chicago professor was arrested and hit with felony charges Friday for allegedly assaulting officers during an anti-ICE riot outside a federal immigration facility in Broadview, Illinois.
Eman Abdelhadi, an assistant professor in the university’s comparative human development department, was charged with two counts of aggravated battery against government employees and two counts of resisting or obstructing law enforcement, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. She was released the next day.
Abdelhadi had been part of a growing group of pro-Palestinian and anti-ICE demonstrators who targeted the ICE processing facility just outside Chicago, in what authorities are calling a wave of coordinated attacks aimed at disrupting federal operations.
Shortly before her arrest, Abdelhadi posted a photo of Illinois State Police outside the Broadview facility on X, writing, “Here’s a picture of Illinois state tax dollars going to enforcing Trump’s agenda of terrorizing our community with abductions.”
She was later filmed shouting in the faces of officers while wearing a “FREE PALESTINE” shirt, according to video she posted to her own Instagram account.
Just one day prior, Abdelhadi appeared on the radical podcast Movement Memos, where she openly admitted to organizing and participating in the anti-ICE actions.
“These people are terrorizing our communities,” she said, referring to federal immigration officers. “There’s no center left. You’re either resisting or you’re complicit.”
Abdelhadi, who has a history of far-left activism, previously called the University of Chicago “evil” and a “colonial landlord” during a socialism conference in July. The school launched an investigation at the time, though the results were never publicly disclosed.
She also posted “Morning Freedom” with a Palestinian flag emoji on the morning of the October 7 Hamas terror attack, further fueling criticism of her extremist positions.
The University of Chicago has not responded to media requests regarding Abdelhadi’s arrest or her current employment status.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has deployed 200 members of the Texas National Guard to assist federal law enforcement in the area following a surge in violence around ICE facilities.
Just one day after Abdelhadi’s arrest, federal agents in Broadview were ambushed and boxed in by a convoy of vehicles. One suspect, reportedly armed with a semi-automatic weapon, was shot after ramming a federal patrol car.
A federal judge on Monday rejected a legal challenge filed by Illinois officials attempting to block Trump’s deployment of Texas troops to sanctuary cities like Chicago, clearing the way for continued federal enforcement.
Despite the ongoing violence, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday signed an executive order establishing new “ICE-free zones” throughout the city — further intensifying tensions between local and federal officials.