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ICE Agent Charged with Battery Against Activist

1/25/2026

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ICE Agent Charged

Police in Brookfield, Illinois, charged Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Adam Saracco with misdemeanor battery for allegedly throwing immigrant rights activist Robert Held to the ground on December 27.
The confrontation occurred while Held, a 68-year-old lawyer, was filming Saracco at a gas station near an immigrant detention center.
Held claimed Saracco attempted to take his phone, but he reported no injuries from the incident.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and deemed misdemeanor charges appropriate, as local prosecutions of federal immigration agents are rare.

Right

Mesael Threatens ICE

Justin Mesael Novoa, 21, of Columbus, Ohio, faces federal charges for threatening U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on social media.
The Department of Justice notes violence-advocating posts, including a June 2025 message to blast every ICE agent they find.
A December 2025 search of his home led to seizures of firearms, ammunition, and body armor, and no injuries were reported.

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ICE Agent Charged

Police in Brookfield, Illinois, charged Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Adam Saracco with misdemeanor battery for allegedly throwing immigrant rights activist Robert Held to the ground on December 27.
The confrontation occurred while Held, a 68-year-old lawyer, was filming Saracco at a gas station near an immigrant detention center.
Held claimed Saracco attempted to take his phone, but he reported no injuries from the incident.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and deemed misdemeanor charges appropriate, as local prosecutions of federal immigration agents are rare.

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