Five people are facing federal charges stemming from weekend protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in suburban Broadview that’s become a flashpoint for the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown.
In court Monday, a federal magistrate judge noted there has been “a tendency for ICE to be very aggressive” in managing the protests and that it was no surprise there was confrontation.
One of those charged, Paul Ivery, 26, of Oak Park, allegedly told an agent “I’ll (expletive) kill you right now” before attempting to evade arrest by jumping onto a car, according to a criminal complaint made public Monday.
Also arrested were a husband and wife, Ray Collins, 21, and Jocelyne Robledo, 30, of the South Side of Chicago, who each allegedly had loaded guns with them as they scuffled with officers who were trying to widen a security perimeter, another complaint alleged. Both have lawful permits to carry the firearms.
Dana Briggs, 70, a U.S. Air Force veteran from Rockford, was accused of making contact with a border protection agent’s arm while trying to hand his cellphone to another protester, allegedly “causing pain” to the agent’s wrist.
Ivery, Collins, Robledo and Briggs each face a felony count of assaulting a federal officer.
A fifth defendant, Hubert Mazur, 21, of Medinah, was charged with a misdemeanor count after he allegedly fought with officers who were trying to push the crowd back, according to a criminal complaint filed against him.
All of the charges stem from the same incident Saturday evening outside the facility in Broadview that saw agents deploy tear gas and other weapons on protesters. Federal officials said that a total of 11 people were taken into custody, including a journalist.
Protesters have held near-daily demonstrations at the ICE facility since DHS announced earlier this month it was launching “Operation Midway Blitz” to ramp up enforcement actions targeting immigrants lacking permanent legal status.
On Friday and Saturday, federal agents fired tear gas and baton rounds at protesters, continuing a trend of events that have become increasingly physical between officials and demonstrators. The charges also came a day after ICE and Border Patrol agents made a show of force downtown.
In court Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Havey asked that Collins be held without bond, saying he was a danger to the community because he “brought a loaded pistol to a volatile situation.”
“We are seeing now with these ongoing ICE operations very disturbing and aggressive protests,” Havey said.
Collins’ lawyer, Richard Kling, said his client lives in Englewood and carries his gun for protection. He has a FOID card and concealed carry license and never leaves home without it, Kling said, but there was no evidence he ever brandished it or intended to use it during the protest.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Fuentes said it was a “very close call,” but ordered Collins held pending trial, saying he showed extremely poor judgment bringing a loaded gun to an ICE protest where tensions were high.
Fuentes noted there has been “a tendency for ICE to be very aggressive in enforcing the law and managing these protests, and that it was “not a surprise that there was a confrontation” in Broadview that night.
The judge noted even if Collins had not intended to use his gun, it could have led to disaster. “Other people could have been hurt,” he said.
Prosecutors also sought to hold Ivery in custody pending trial. Fuentes set a detention hearing for Wednesday morning.
Before he was led back into the lockup, Ivery, who works in food service at Oak Park and River Forest High School, started sobbing loudly in the courtroom, burying his face in his lawyer’s shoulder.
Mazur, Robledo and Briggs were each ordered released on appearance bonds.
Tensions have also risen between Broadview officials and ICE. Within the last week, federal officials denied reports that ICE was planning to vacate the two-story brick building and instead installed fencing that blocks part of the road outside of the facility. While DHS has argued the fence is for public safety, village officials have said it was “illegally built” because it was installed without a permit and that the fencing prevents emergency personnel from accessing parts of the suburb.
According to the charges filed over the weekend, Ivery had joined the protests Saturday night and was about 6 inches from a Customs and Border Patrol officer’s face when he made threats to kill him. The officer chased and tackled Ivery to the ground, and in the ensuing scuffle, the officer’s helmet became “askew, thereby temporarily exposing him to pepper spray in the vicinity,” the complaint alleged.
Ivery later told investigators he came to Broadview to protest because he was disappointed that ICE agents “were disrespectful toward the Broadview Police Department and veterans,” the complaint alleged.
The complaint against Robledo and Collins, meanwhile, alleged they both pushed back against agents who “were attempting to extend the perimeter.” During the struggle, agents observed a loaded GForce Arms 9 mm semiautomatic pistol in Robledo’s waistband.
Collins yelled at the agents to get away from his wife and “charged toward the agents,” injuring one in the ensuing scuffle, the complaint alleged.
“After agents managed to restrain Collins and place him under arrest, they discovered that he too was carrying a firearm in his waistband,” the complaint alleged. The gun was a loaded Century Arms 9 mm semiautomatic pistol, the charges alleged.
DHS later posted photos of the firearms on social media.
Lawyers for the four defendants were not listed on the court docket Monday. Court information was not immediately available.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
