WGN-TV Staffer Detained By ICE
On Friday morning around 8:30 a.m., Debbie Brockman. who claimed she was a WGN-TV Producer, was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents—often referred to interchangeably with ICE in media reports—during an immigration enforcement operation in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood.
The raid targeted a small group of landscapers, including at least one Spanish-speaking man who was already in custody when Brockman became involved. Eyewitness videos, widely shared on social media and verified by outlets like the Chicago Tribune and left-wing The Guardian, show two masked agents in tactical gear forcing Brockman to the ground face-down on the sidewalk during rush hour traffic. She identified herself to a bystander (local resident Josh Thomas) as "Debbie Brockman. I work for WGN. Please let them know," before being handcuffed and loaded into an unmarked silver van with New Jersey license plates. Onlookers shouted at the agents, calling them "fascists" and "Nazis," while cars honked in protest.
Was She Working as a Journalist When Detained? It is unclear if Brockman was officially on assignment for WGN-TV at the time. WGN described her as a "creative services employee" (not a field reporter), and station policy prohibits naming uncharged individuals, suggesting she was not acting in an official capacity.
Debbie Brockman “was placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer.” A producer for WGN-TV, a Chicago television station, arrested after throwing objects at law enforcement. https://t.co/yrWlr9dhGV pic.twitter.com/IZASzymR5R
— Joni Job (@jj_talking) October 10, 2025
Witnesses and videos indicate she was filming the raid with her personal phone from the sidewalk, which could qualify as protected newsgathering under the First Amendment—especially as a media professional identifying herself to agents. However, federal officials accused her of obstruction and assault, not interfering with journalism.