Broadview 6 prosecutor retires under protest, blames U.S. attorney

Federal prosecutor Sheri Mecklenburg resigned from the Department of Justice this week, penning a scathing letter in which she said U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros "personally directed" the Broadview Six prosecution that she says ended her career.Mecklenburg was the lead prosecutor for the grand jury proceedings that brought felony charges against a group of six protesters arrested outside the Broadview ICE facility outside Chicago as Operation Midway Blitz ramped up in 2025.The protesters faced felony charges for conspiracy and misdemeanor charges for obstruction, but the case fell apart in two steps. First, the felony charges were dismissed; then, as Boutros' office prepared for a rare federal misdemeanor trial, allegations of "gross misconduct" involving the grand jury proceedings emerged.

Days before the trial was to start, the remaining misdemeanors were dismissed with prejudice.Boutros himself appeared in court to announce the dismissal, following a closed-door hearing before U.S. District Judge April Perry over redacted grand jury transcripts. He said he learned only in late April of some of the alleged misconduct, including the lead prosecutor vouching for the strength of the case and improper communications with grand jurors outside the proceedings. He said he had known since the fall that grand jurors who disagreed with the government's case had been dismissed and had taken steps to correct it.Boutros did not dispute the allegations,