In a surprising turn of events, the assault charges against two anti-ICE activists accused of attacking federal agents while armed outside a Chicago immigration facility were unexpectedly dropped.
This development comes as National Guard troops, mobilized under President Trump’s orders, arrived on Thursday to ensure the safety of the facility.
Ray Collins, 31, and Jocelyn Robledo, 30, had their felony charges dismissed after a local grand jury declined to indict them, according to a report from CBS News.
The reasons behind the grand jury’s decision not to indict remain unclear, compelling federal prosecutors to abandon their cases.
The engaged couple allegedly “refused to retreat” during a protest that took place on September 27 outside an ICE facility in Broadview, a suburb of Chicago.
Chaos erupted when agents instructed the crowd to disperse. Robledo reportedly shoved officers, and Collins was accused of rushing at them, resulting in an injury to an ATF agent’s hand.
Both individuals were found with loaded handguns, yet they were legally registered, according to ABC 7’s report.
Following their arrest in September, Collins and Robledo were released, with Collins briefly detained for carrying a weapon during the protest.
Another individual arrested during the same protest, 21-year-old Hubert Mazur, also had his misdemeanor charges dropped on Wednesday.
The Broadview ICE facility, where the arrests took place, is currently one of the locations being secured by National Guard troops for the protection of federal immigration personnel.
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As reported by federal officials to NBC Chicago, at least 45 members of the Texas National Guard were assigned to the Broadview facility, having arrived the previous night.
Troops have been seen patrolling the grounds within the facility’s fenced area since their deployment.
In total, about 500 federal troops from both the Texas and Illinois National Guard are anticipated to remain in Chicago for a period of 60 days, safeguarding immigration enforcement efforts amid increasing tensions following last week’s protests targeting federal agents.
Some protests have reportedly involved aggressive actions, such as convoys attempting to box in immigration officers and even incidents of vehicle ramming.
While troops have yet to be seen within the city proper, they were also reported at a facility in the nearby suburb of Elwood earlier this week.
The complete deployment of troops to Chicago is projected to commence within a matter of days.
