Chicago U.S. attorney office turmoil deepens after Broadview cases collapse

Federal prosecutors dropped the remaining Broadview Six charges after grand jury misconduct surfaced, and U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros personally appeared in court to dismiss the case at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse. Boutros later acknowledged speaking to the October grand jury that indicted the protesters, pushing the U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of Illinois deeper into crisis. The fallout has widened to more than 1,000 cases now under review.

The Broadview Six case grew out of protests outside the Broadview ICE processing facility in Broadview, Illinois, during the 2025-2026 Chicago-area immigration crackdown and anti-ICE demonstrations. Federal filings and unsealed grand jury material raised questions about improper or unusual presentations to the grand jury, and judges and defense lawyers pressed the integrity of the process.

The upheaval has also hit the office’s ranks. Prosecutors have left the Chicago office angry about the cases they were being told to bring against protesters and immigrants. The office’s focus on immigration cases reflects broader Trump administration priorities that elevated those prosecutions over white-collar crime and corruption matters.

Political pressure on Boutros has intensified in Chicago and Washington. Chicago aldermen introduced a resolution calling on him to resign, and Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth have urged him to step down. Defense lawyers have accused the Justice Department of broad misconduct and sought attorneys’ fees, adding another layer of scrutiny to an office already facing questions about its judgment and internal discipline.