Charges dropped for Chicago immigration protesters after grand-jury misconduct concerns

Prosecutors dropped the remaining charges against four activists who protested outside a Broadview federal facility during last year’s immigration crackdown after revelations of grand jury misconduct by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including a prosecutor meeting with a juror outside proceedings. The charges—including a felony conspiracy count and misdemeanor counts for impeding a federal agent—were dismissed with prejudice and won’t be refiled, with defense lawyers arguing the case violated First Amendment rights and highlighted prosecutorial overreach in politically charged crackdown cases.