A chilling incident of bias and abuse of power has come to light in the Chicago suburb of Brookfield, where an off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer allegedly attacked a protester. Robert Held, 68, was filming the scene when ICE Officer Adam Saracco approached him, sparking a heated confrontation that left Held on the ground. Miraculously, Held managed to escape with his life after people nearby intervened, but the incident raises serious questions about the accountability of those in positions of power.
According to officials and the alleged victim, Saracco had been following Held from the parking lot of the Broadview ICE facility earlier that day. The officer allegedly approached Held on a public sidewalk, increasing his pace until he tackled the man to the ground, trying to take his phone away. Miraculously, Held was able to stand up for himself and calmly asked Saracco to de-escalate the situation.
The case has been charged as a misdemeanor count of battery, with prosecutors declining to file felony charges despite initial concerns about the severity of the incident. The fact that police initially considered charging the case as a felony due to age and location only highlights the systemic biases at play in law enforcement. It's clear that Saracco was more concerned with silencing Held than addressing any legitimate concerns.
This latest incident is part of a disturbing pattern of abuse and misconduct by federal immigration officials, particularly ICE agents. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been slow to respond to allegations against Saracco, who appears to have a history of questionable behavior, including being named in multiple lawsuits filed in the Northern District of Illinois.
The actions of federal immigration enforcement officials like Saracco undermine trust between law enforcement and communities, causing unnecessary fear and terror for innocent people. As Attorney General Eileen O'Neill Burke's office has stated, ICE operations "have resulted in unnecessary deaths, broken relationships between law enforcement and our citizens, and an untold amount of terror unleashed on communities." It's high time that the government takes responsibility for its agents' actions and ensures accountability for such egregious behavior.
Held, who has been present at protests against President Trump's aggressive deportation campaign, expressed relief that charges have been filed but acknowledged that justice still needs to be served. His bravery in speaking out against ICE's abusive tactics serves as a powerful reminder of the need for systemic change and greater oversight within federal agencies. As we move forward, it's crucial that we hold those in power accountable for their actions and work towards creating safer, more just communities for all.
According to officials and the alleged victim, Saracco had been following Held from the parking lot of the Broadview ICE facility earlier that day. The officer allegedly approached Held on a public sidewalk, increasing his pace until he tackled the man to the ground, trying to take his phone away. Miraculously, Held was able to stand up for himself and calmly asked Saracco to de-escalate the situation.
The case has been charged as a misdemeanor count of battery, with prosecutors declining to file felony charges despite initial concerns about the severity of the incident. The fact that police initially considered charging the case as a felony due to age and location only highlights the systemic biases at play in law enforcement. It's clear that Saracco was more concerned with silencing Held than addressing any legitimate concerns.
This latest incident is part of a disturbing pattern of abuse and misconduct by federal immigration officials, particularly ICE agents. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been slow to respond to allegations against Saracco, who appears to have a history of questionable behavior, including being named in multiple lawsuits filed in the Northern District of Illinois.
The actions of federal immigration enforcement officials like Saracco undermine trust between law enforcement and communities, causing unnecessary fear and terror for innocent people. As Attorney General Eileen O'Neill Burke's office has stated, ICE operations "have resulted in unnecessary deaths, broken relationships between law enforcement and our citizens, and an untold amount of terror unleashed on communities." It's high time that the government takes responsibility for its agents' actions and ensures accountability for such egregious behavior.
Held, who has been present at protests against President Trump's aggressive deportation campaign, expressed relief that charges have been filed but acknowledged that justice still needs to be served. His bravery in speaking out against ICE's abusive tactics serves as a powerful reminder of the need for systemic change and greater oversight within federal agencies. As we move forward, it's crucial that we hold those in power accountable for their actions and work towards creating safer, more just communities for all.
! Can't believe an ICE agent would behave like this in public. I mean, what's the protocol when someone's trying to film a protest? You're supposed to be there to help, not silence them. I'm glad Robert Held was able to stand up for himself, but I don't think that should've been necessary in the first place.
and it's not like robert held did anything wrong, he was just minding his own business taking vids for his phone 
but because saracco was all bent outta shape about being filmed, things escalated to violence. it's wild how this stuff always seems to happen to people speaking out against the system, you know? 
this is so wrong! an ice officer attacking someone on the street who was just filming? it's like something out of a movie 
. I'm glad people intervened and helped that guy get away from Saracco, but this whole thing is just too crazy. I mean, who gives someone in power that kind of free rein to act like they're above the law? 
this is what happens when you have no checks on ppl with guns & badges. ICE officer goes rogue & attacks a protester, and instead of facing felony charges, gets charged as a misdemeanor 
. It's not just about this one incident, it's a systemic problem that needs to be addressed. We need better training, accountability, & consequences for those who abuse their power 
. And can we please talk about the fact that he was following the protester from the parking lot?! 
that's already suspicious. The government needs to take responsibility for its agents' actions & ensure justice is served 
. This case should be a wake-up call for all of us to demand change 
.
I mean, on the one hand, this guy ICE Officer Saracco seriously lost his cool and attacked an innocent protester, which is super unacceptable. I'm all for holding people in power accountable, especially when they're abusing their authority. On the other hand, I'm not sure if charging him with a misdemeanor battery is enough... I mean, he was following the guy from the parking lot and tackling him to the ground? That's some crazy stuff right there! 
The fact that prosecutors declined to file felony charges might say something about systemic biases in law enforcement. But at the same time, it feels like Saracco was more concerned with silencing Held than actually addressing any legitimate concerns. Like, what if Held wasn't even protesting anything? What if he was just minding his own business and ICE showed up out of nowhere? 
Adam Saracco's got a history of questionable behavior & yet no one's holding him accountable... the fact that he was chasing Robert Held from his car in the parking lot, then tackling him on the sidewalk is straight outta sci-fi movie 
We need to hold them accountable and create safer, more just communities for everyone. It's time for systemic change! 
he was filming protests and the officer follows him down to where he's standing on the sidewalk... like what even is that? 
i'm glad held survived but like, how many people have to get hurt before something changes? it's crazy that he was just filming and then got attacked for it 
and now they're charging him with battery but as a misdemeanor? what about felony charges? seems like he's getting a free pass 
the fact that police considered it a felony in the first place is just another layer of corruption 
we need systemic change and more oversight, period! 
but seriously can't believe some ICE dude thought he could just take down an old guy with a phone 
what's next? sending the cops to arrest people for not liking their avocado toast 
anyway, all these allegations against Saracco are like, super suspicious... I mean, who needs felony charges when you can be charged with battery and call it a day 
and btw, has anyone seen Robert Held's phone records? 
did he get any extra storage for his footage of the whole thing 
. The system is flawed, but hey, at least we can learn from these incidents and work towards change! 
the fact that saracco was able to walk free after all this is a huge problem, i'm glad they're charging him with battery but you know it's not going to be enough...
how did this even happen? and what's with the fact that police were considering felony charges but only ended up filing misdemeanor charges? it's clear there's some serious bias at play here 
. but this is the US of A, right? we're supposed to be better than that. but honestly, i'm not holding my breath 
. at least someone's standing up for themselves and others... now let's see if anyone else will follow suit 
this whole thing is super suspicious, like saracco was always gonna be the one to take out on someone filming the scene from the start. and now that charges are filed, it'll probably just get dropped because of his "clear" record