Chicago aldermen latest calling for US attorney’s ouster over ‘Broadview Six’ case

By Sean Reed | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – A federal prosecutor in Illinois is facing additional calls for his resignation this week by public officials, this time in Chicago, who claim he’s acted unfairly in applying federal law – especially relating to matters of immigration enforcement and free speech.

Complaints regarding U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Andrew Boutros’ work stems partly from his handling of legal proceedings after Operation Midway Blitz and protests of the state’s only Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Broadview.

On Tuesday, Chicago Alderman Michael Rodriguez presented a resolution to the City Council’s Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight, in which he calls into question Boutros’ judgement and ability to serve impartially.

“Calling on the Assistant United States attorney to resign is a matter I do not take lightly,” Rodriguez told fellow aldermen. “The Northern District of Illinois has been in turmoil. From overcharging peaceful protesters almost from his first day, to the mass exodus of legal talent from the ninth district’s team of attorneys, the office has been rocked with parting attorneys and growing scandals.”

Boutros was appointed to the role for 120 days by former Attorney General Pam Bondi in 2025, before he was confirmed permanently for the position by the full district court.

Rodriguez specifically said prosecution of the “Broadview Six,” a group of local politicians and activists charged for protesting the ICE facility, and subsequent findings of improper conduct by the office as one of the many reasons Boutros should resign.

“More than 100 former federal prosecutors have publicly expressed concern that the office’s reputation for integrity, professionalism, and political independence has been tarnished,” Rodriguez said.

Previously, both U.S. senators from Illinois, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, released a statement calling for Boutros’ resignation.

“Andrew Boutros’s time as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois has been riddled with chaos, deep internal dysfunction, and alleged misconduct,” the lawmakers said in their joint statement last month. “He must resign, and there must be an open, transparent, and nonpartisan search to nominate the next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.”

The Northern District’s office produced a special report containing normally-undisclosed grand jury documentation after the attorney’s contact with jurors in the Broadview case was called into question.

Alderman Andre Vasquez was the only other member to speak regarding the resolution. He agreed with Rodriguez and said he’s concerned the federal government targeted the constitutional rights of Illinoisans, then alleging the office attempted to cover up unethical and improper behavior.

“But then to watch how it also affected other cases like the Loretta case only leads to more lack of confidence in the judicial system. It is clear that Butros needs to resign and step down just to add the confidence back,” Vasquez said.

Though the measure is from the local lawmaking body, it is a resolution that doesn’t change law or force action. Instead, it serves as a way for the council to weigh in on matters or send a message.

The resolution was recommended by the committee to be adopted by the council near-unanimously, with Alderman Nicholas Sposato as the sole “no” vote.