Will County Gazette

Republican activist Emily Cahill, a conservative organizer in Will County, said she was harassed and verbally assaulted outside the Broadview ICE Processing Center during a protest that escalated into a confrontation.

Cahill appeared at the facility holding a counterprotest sign reading, “Democrats Hate Cops But Love Antifa.”

“I was just out there to show support for the ICE agents and other law enforcement personnel who were out there dealing with Antifa and the Democrats, being disrespectful and sometimes violent,” Cahill told the Will County Gazette.

Video of the incident shows protesters surrounding Cahill, who held a pro-ICE sign, as she was shouted at and taunted.

In one moment, a protester repeatedly shouted, “F--- you! F--- you! F--- you!” in her face, later saying, “You just want attention, you’re pathetic.” Another person asked her, “Why are you even here?”

Another individual stood close to Cahill and blew a whistle in her face.

Reflecting on the incident, Cahill described the hostility she faced.

“I had a lot of issues,” she said. “Multiple individuals came up to me. They were screaming in my ear, blowing whistles in my ears. One lady said that she was going to stab me in my neck.”

Despite the incident, Cahill said she remains open to discussion.

“Like I always say, I don't have a problem with differences of opinion,” she said. “I'm willing to talk about whatever issues we have that are different. Maybe we can find more things in common than we have apart. The one thing I do have a problem with is when the increased levels of hate turn into what we've seen, where they're yelling and getting violent all because of differing opinions.”

Cahill called the threats shocking but also said the event highlighted deeper tensions.

“It was shocking to hear somebody want to stab me in my neck, but I should have known it's a different crowd than normal,” she said. “So I might run into those types of individuals. But I do know this could be something that breaks a little bit of a floodgate in opening people's eyes to how irrational they are. We know they’re crazy. But when somebody is just standing there doing nothing and everybody around them is screaming at them, there's a problem that shows they are not stable.”

After leaving the facility, Cahill said she had a tense encounter with someone who followed her to her car.

“There was one individual at the very end of it following me back to my car,” she said. “I asked him nicely not to. He followed me for almost a block and a half when I finally then turned around and said, ‘Hey, leave me alone or I will mace you.’ And that's when he threatened to hunt me down.”

She said the individual then tried to physically intimidate her.

“He tried to throw his cell phone at me,” Cahill said.

Cahill reported the incident to the Will County Sheriff’s Office.

The video of the confrontation took place during a protest involving more than 200 participants at the Broadview ICE facility. Demonstrators clashed with law enforcement, blocked entrances and chanted slogans such as “kill ICE” and “shoot ICE.” Eleven people were arrested, including one carrying a 9mm handgun and another with what police described as a suspected explosive device.

Video of the incident was later posted to X by former congressional candidate Jack Lombardi III.

“For those who don’t know, the woman holding the sign in the video is Emily Cahill (@patrioticmouse),” Lombardi said. 

“She’s been like a sister to me and has never backed down from Antifa. She’s been targeted—her life threatened multiple times—has obtained restraining orders against Antifa members, and has been hacked, smeared, and shamed. Yet no matter what they throw at her, she walks back into the lion’s den and stands firm against left-wing tyranny.”

“I deeply respect her—the ultimate comeback story: from drug use to a brave warrior against the left. She’s the American dream in living color.”

Cahill serves as treasurer of the Will County Young Republicans, is a precinct committeewoman in Plainfield and membership coordinator for the Illinois Young Republicans.

“I've done this before and I've seen how it boosted the morale of the officers,” she said. “I felt that if I just went out there, even if I was making a fool of myself in a way, as long as they were getting a chuckle out of it, and they knew that somebody, and actually a big group of people, would be going out on Friday to support them. I know they know that, but to actually see somebody out there doing it means something.”

Cahill’s counterprotests come amid what law enforcement agencies and political observers have described as a rise in politically motivated violence targeting immigration enforcement.

In early September, conservative commentator and Illinois native Charlie Kirk was fatally shot by a sniper during a speaking event. Authorities have said the suspect was allegedly motivated by extremist beliefs.

Between June and September 2025, multiple attacks on ICE facilities and personnel were reported across several states.

The most severe incident occurred Sept. 24 in Dallas, where a gunman identified by police as Joshua Jahn opened fire at an ICE facility, killing one detainee before taking his own life. Law enforcement officials said ammunition recovered at the scene was marked with the phrase “ANTI-ICE.”

In another case, authorities in Alvarado, Texas, said a group described as a “leftist militia” launched an armed assault on a detention center, resulting in an ICE officer being shot in the neck. Several suspects were arrested and charged with attempted murder.

Additional incidents — including clashes with law enforcement and suspected arson — were reported during protests outside ICE offices in Portland, Oregon, and Colorado Springs, Colorado. Investigations into those cases remain ongoing.

Cahill said she relies on her faith when attending protests.

“I give that up to God before I go,” she said. “I may say a couple of prayers while I'm standing there, and it keeps me grounded and not so concerned about my safety. I have really good situational awareness and am always looking around, trying to see things. I don't wear earplugs in case I hear a shot or something that may indicate someone planning an attack so I can get myself out of it. I am going this Friday with security because of the people who have made threats on my life since then.”

Cahill has publicly described years of stalking, doxxing, threats and defamatory flyers placed near her home and her daughter’s school. She holds an emergency protective order against an individual she claims is linked to Antifa.

“They want me to be silent, and that's why they continue to do stuff like that, thinking it will scare me into silence,” Cahill said in a prior interview.