Republican activist and Will County conservative organizer Emily Cahill says she was physically assaulted, threatened and injured during a Jan. 17 protest outside the Broadview ICE Processing Center, marking the most serious escalation in a pattern of harassment she has faced while counter-protesting anti-ICE demonstrations outside the facility.
Cahill, who was there to support ICE agents and law enforcement, is alleging multiple attacks by protesters, including Chela García, head organizer of Chicago non-profit Little Village Community Council (LVCC).
The protest was billed as a “No Kings” anti-ICE demonstration, but Cahill said less than 200 people showed up.
“I showed up to show support for ICE and other law enforcement to their ‘No Kings’ anti ICE protest on Saturday in Broadview,” Cahill, who serves as treasurer of the Will County Young Republicans, precinct committeewoman in Plainfield and membership coordinator for the Illinois Young Republicans, told the Will County Gazette. “It was hosted by somebody out of state. There’s actually a group of them, and they travel around the country, and they do these kinds of protests and do that kind of stuff.”
Carrying a sign that read “We Love ICE” and wearing an American flag sock cap, Cahill said she took her position along the fence outside the ICE facility, where she says the confrontation began almost immediately.
“When I got there, I was able to get along the fence,” Cahill said. “While I was standing there, one of the event organizers and speakers was a part of the Little Village Community Club. Her name is Chela Garcia. She just started to verbally harass me. She started to make threats saying that she was going to ‘pew, pew’ my house. She was going to do explicit things with a sign.”
Video circulated online shows García making violent statements toward Cahill.
“I’m about to rock her shit. I am going to take her sign, shove it up her ass, take it out and shove it down her throat,” Garcia said in the video.
Cahill said the verbal harassment continued as she attempted to move away.
“That went on for a good 20 minutes,” she said. “I kept moving around the protest, trying to get away. She tried multiple times to grab my hat. One time she was successful and one of the other counter protesters gave me my hat back.”
Cahill alleges the first physical confrontation occurred when two men dressed in black attempted to take her sign.
“One of the times they tried to take my sign, it was two men in ‘black bloc,’” she said. “One grabbed me, and then the other one popped me in my head, trying to get me to let go, which worked for a second because I tried to block my face.”
She said she was briefly able to recover the sign before leaving the area.
“They got my sign, went to throw it at somebody else, and that’s when I was able to grab it. I took off at that point, feeling a little overwhelmed,” Cahill said. “After a few more minutes, as I was about to leave, [Garcia] came up behind me and punched me in my head.”
Cahill alleges a second assault occurred shortly afterward as she attempted to leave.
Photos Cahill posted online show a bruised leg, a cut lip and chin, and large clumps of hair she says were pulled out during the altercation.
“She pulled out a good handful and a half of my hair,” Cahill said. “I got a little chunk on my chin, and then a small cut on the inside of my lip.”
“You can see my hair is completely pulled out,” Cahill said. “My braids are gone because one lady pulled on one, and the lady that hit me was pulling on the other. It took three or four people to get them to stop.”
Cahill said she was particularly alarmed by the increased harassment from protest organizers at the recent Broadview demonstration compared with previous counter-protests she had attended there.
“A lot more people have been screaming obscenities at me while I was there, but it wasn’t, it was more like the organizers,” she said. “I was really shocked by this.”
The Chicago Sun-Times later published photos from the protest showing Cahill surrounded by demonstrators including Baltazar Enriquez, president of Little Village Community Council, taunting Cahill.
“[Baltazar Enriquez] was screaming in my face,” she said. “He grabbed my coat to try and stop me from defending myself against his cohort.”
Cahill also criticized media coverage of the incident, alleging that reporters witnessed the assault but failed to document it.
The Tribune’s coverage of the protest focused on opposition to ICE and highlighted García’s role in memorializing individuals killed during immigration enforcement actions, describing her remarks as grounding the protest “in remembrance and moral clarity.” It left out the violence carried out against Cahill by a leftist mob.
Cahill said she later filed a police report, though she expressed skepticism about the outcome.
“I just filed a police report, but I’m not too sure if it’s going to go anywhere because it’s Broadview,” she said.
Notably, Broadview officials have taken an openly anti‑ICE stance, drawing criticism for not deploying the village’s 32‑member police force during protests at the Broadview ICE Processing Center.
Those demonstrations have seen participants block facility entrances, carry handguns and protective gear, shout threats, and attempt to breach the site.
Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson has publicly challenged ICE’s presence, urging changes to federal enforcement and accusing agents of “making war” on the community.
The absence of local police at the protests has been cited amid broader public safety concerns in the Chicago area, with some questioning whether authorities are prioritizing protection for residents.
Cahill alleged there was little police presence at the protest itself.
“It was supposed to be monitored by the Unified Command Center, but there was no police there; they were a whole block away,” she said. “When I finally got to a cop, he told me I had to go find the Broadview officer or go downtown, which I did.”
Cahill said officers accepted her evidence and indicated the case would be investigated.
“I provided them all the information about who they were, what they were wearing, and when it happened,” she said. “I also provided information about the event organizer aiding them in the attack. I then proved that she was an event organizer. They were going to refer it to a detective, who is supposed to reach out to me later this week.”
Cahill emphasized that while she has been harassed before, this was the first time she was physically attacked.
“I’ve never actually had somebody come up and punch me or try to physically assault me like this,’ she said. “Usually, they just try to take my sign.”
She said the incident reinforced her belief that her right to counter-protest is being challenged.
“I said something to one of them when they were out there,” Cahill said. “I said, you have no problem interrupting ICE and their actual legitimate lawful duties, but have a problem with me standing here with a sign. And she’s like, ‘yeah, because you have no right to stand here.’ Well, why not? I have the First Amendment right to be here and peacefully protest and then you do, you know? And she just couldn’t answer that at that point. She just started yelling.”
Despite the injuries and threats, Cahill said she intends to continue counter-protesting, relying on her faith and increased security.
“I give that up to God before I go,” she said in a prior interview with the Will County Gazette. “I may say a couple of prayers while I’m standing there, and it keeps me grounded and not so concerned about my safety.”
She has previously said that intimidation will not silence her.
“They want me to be silent, and that’s why they continue to do stuff like that, thinking it will scare me into silence,” Cahill said in a prior interview.
Emily Cahill’s photos of her injuries. (Facebook / Em Cahill)
