A Chicago TV station producer was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents on Friday for throwing something at their vehicle.
Station WGN producer Deborah Brockman was forced to the ground, cuffed, and then tossed into a vehicle after she threw an object at immigration officials as they were conducting a nearby raid.
After the agents threw her in their silver van, they tried to drive off, only to be blocked by an SUV. After the SUV owner refused to move, the agents decided to just plow past the vehicle, damaging its rear bumper.
Deborah Brockman, who works at a news company in Chicago, is accused of violent rioting and throwing projectiles at a Border Patrol car. Far-left extremists tried boxing in the federal vehicle, but the agents drove through them.
pic.twitter.com/vldtjNaqJh— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) October 12, 2025
Josh Thomas, a witness who lives in a condo above the area where the arrest occurred, later told WGN what he saw.
“I heard yelling and screaming and honking [from the condo],” he said. “I ran downstairs to see what was going on. It looked like Border Patrol agents in a minivan had slammed some lady to the ground.”
“And so, I ran up to her and asked her for her name. She said she was a WGN employee,” he added.
Another witness told WGN that the whole scene spiraled out of control after immigration agents detained an older man working on a nearby property, sparking outrage from others, including Brockman.
“We didn’t even see it coming,” the witness said. “It was really like so quick and fast. We were just screaming to leave him alone, leave him alone.”
According to Brockman’s employer, she was eventually released with zero charges filed against her.
“Earlier today, a WGN-TV creative services employee was detained by ICE,” the station said in a statement. “She has since been released, and no charges were filed against her. Out of respect for her privacy, we will have no further statements about this incident.”
A leftist legal analyst has since warned that Brockman’s arrest might have violated a recent Chicago court order “prohibiting DHS officers from arresting journalists.”
This arrest appears to be in direct violation of a temporary restraining order prohibiting DHS officers from arresting journalists. The officers here may well be subject to contempt of court. protectdemocracy.org/wp-content/u…
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjsdc.bsky.social) October 10, 2025 at 2:57 PM
“On Thursday, a federal judge in Chicago issued a temporary restraining order blocking federal agents from using certain forceful tactics to suppress protests or to impede journalists from covering those protests,” according to The Guardian.
“The order restricts federal officials from arresting, threatening to arrest, or deploying physical force against journalists unless authorities have established probable cause to believe the journalists have committed a crime.”
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, for her part, fiercely defended Brockman’s arrest and the plowing of the SUV in a statement.
“Deborah Brockman, a US citizen, threw objects at a Border Patrol car, and she was placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer,” she said of Brockman.
“U.S. border patrol was conducting immigration enforcement operations when several violent agitators used their vehicles to block in agents in an effort to impede and assault federal officers,” she added. “In fear of public safety and of law enforcement, officers used their service vehicle to strike a suspect’s vehicle and create an opening.”
“This incident is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of illegal aliens violently resisting arrest, and agitators and criminals ramming cars into our law enforcement officers. These attacks highlight the dangers our law enforcement officers face daily—all while receiving no pay thanks to the Democrats’ government shutdown,” she continued.
Here’s what happened:@CBP agents were conducting immigration enforcement operations when several violent agitators used vehicles to block in agents to impede & assault federal officers. In fear of public & law enforcement safety, officers used their service vehicle to strike a… https://t.co/JPL7LLU7q2
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) October 11, 2025
Brockman’s arrest came about a month after the launch of Operation Midway Blitz, a Trump administration operation to rid Chicago of criminal illegal aliens.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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