A federal magistrate judge ordered the detention Monday of a man found to be lawfully carrying a loaded firearm while allegedly resisting officers during protests last weekend outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview.
The ruling came roughly two hours before news broke that the Department of Homeland Security is seeking the deployment of 100 military troops to Illinois, citing the need to protect ICE agents and facilities.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Fuentes said he struggled with the personal judgment of Ray Collins, 31, of Chicago in “bringing a loaded firearm to a public protest — a public protest in this particular time and space.”
“Who brings a loaded firearm to an ICE protest?” Fuentes asked in court.
Collins is among five people now facing federal criminal charges after Saturday’s clash between protesters and federal agents — one of the most volatile since DHS launched its “Operation Midway Blitz” deportation campaign. The feds have used the arrest of Collins and his partner to argue that ICE agents have been endangered by the ongoing protests.
Another man was accused Monday of threatening the life of Border Patrol agents at the Saturday protest.
The allegations follow last week’s shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas, which left one detainee dead and two others wounded.
Neither Collins nor his partner, 30-year-old Jocelyne Robledo of Chicago, face criminal charges directly related to the 9 mm semiautomatic pistols they were allegedly carrying Saturday. Authorities confirmed in a criminal complaint the couple had “lawful permits.”
They are instead charged with forcibly assaulting and resisting federal officers. Still, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Havey argued that Collins poses a danger to the community because he “brought a loaded pistol to a volatile situation.”
Defense attorney Richard Kling argued that Collins lives in Englewood and routinely carries a gun for protection. Kling said Collins had a Firearm Owner’s Identification card and a concealed carry license.
“Like you carry your keys, he carries a gun,” Kling told the judge.
Fuentes eventually sided with prosecutors when it came to Collins’ detention. The judge found Robledo ineligible for a detention hearing and ordered her release, though. While records suggest the couple is married, Kling referred to Robledo as Collins’ fiancee in court.
The criminal complaint alleges that Collins and Robledo “refused to retreat” Saturday when agents sought to widen a perimeter around the ICE facility in Broadview. When agents began to push people away, Robledo allegedly pushed back.
That apparently prompted a struggle. As agents tussled with Robledo, they allegedly found the pistol she was carrying in a band around her waist. Then, Collins allegedly yelled at agents to get away from his wife and charged toward them, leading to another struggle and the discovery of his gun, according to the complaint.
Criminal charges have also been filed against Paul Ivery, 26, of Oak Park; Hubert Mazur, 21, of Medinah; and Dana Briggs, 70, of Rockford. Mazur is charged with forcibly resisting a federal officer, a misdemeanor.
The others are charged with felony assault of a federal officer.
Prosecutors did not seek detention for Mazur or Briggs. Ivery is being held in custody pending a later detention hearing.
The complaint against Ivery alleges that he shouted something akin to “I’ll f—ing kill you right now” at Border Patrol officers while standing about 6 inches away from them and told the officers to “do something” before running away and jumping on a vehicle.
A supervisory border patrol agent ran after Ivery and, during a struggle, Ivery allegedly grabbed the back of the agent’s helmet and pulled the agent’s head down.
According to the complaint, Ivery admitted to his threat during a later interview. He also said he “explained his disappointment that ICE agents were disrespectful towards the Broadview Police Department and veterans,” the document said.
Briggs allegedly refused to move out of a street when instructed by agents, but an agent made contact with him and knocked him backward.
As agents moved forward to arrest Briggs, he allegedly tried to hand off his phone to another protester. When an agent reached forward to prevent him from doing so, Briggs allegedly swung his right arm toward the agent’s left arm, striking the agent.
The complaint against Mazur alleges that Mazur refused to step back as ordered when agents tried to move protesters away from the facility. It says an agent pushed Mazur before Mazur grabbed the agent’s arm, causing Mazur to be shoved again.
Both then ended up on the ground, where Mazur continued to resist arrest until being placed in handcuffs, according to the complaint.
Correction: An earlier version misidentified the subject of a criminal complaint, mistakenly citing discrepancies between that complaint and video taken by a Sun-Times reporter.