Attorneys for a WGN creative services employee, recently involved in a widely publicized incident on Chicago’s North Side, have issued a statement following her brief detention by Border Patrol agents. The event unfolded during rush hour at a bustling intersection in the Lincoln Square neighborhood.
On that Friday, Debbie Brockman, the employee in question, found herself at the center of a chaotic scene when Border Patrol agents reportedly engaged in immigration enforcement efforts. The commotion caught the attention of many, including Josh Thomas, who lives in a condo overlooking the intersection.
“I heard yelling, screaming, and honking,” Thomas recounted to Nexstar’s WGN. “I rushed downstairs and witnessed what appeared to be Border Patrol agents in a minivan forcefully detaining a woman. I approached her, and she identified herself as a WGN employee.”
According to Thomas, Brockman was accused of obstructing justice. “She was merely standing there, capturing the scene on video like the rest of us,” he explained.
The Department of Homeland Security later clarified that Brockman, a U.S. citizen, had allegedly thrown objects at a Border Patrol vehicle. Initially arrested for assaulting a federal law enforcement officer, she was subsequently released without charges.
For more details, you can refer to WGN News’ prior coverage of the incident.
WGN initially chose not to name the employee, as she was not charged with a crime, which is standard practice in coverage. Since Brockman has identified herself in the statement, WGN is as well.
On Tuesday, attorneys at People’s Law Office, which is representing Brockman, released a statement, saying nobody should be treated the way Brockman was. You can see the full statement below:
“Debbie Brockman, the WGN employee who was physically attacked and arrested in Chicago, Illinois by federal agents on October 10, 2025, would like to provide the following information to clarify any misunderstandings or misrepresentations that have been previously reported.
First off, Ms. Brockman wishes to clarify that at the time of this incident she was not acting in any professional capacity as an employee of WGN. During the morning hours this past Friday, Ms. Brockman was walking to the bus stop as part of her morning commute when she was attacked by Border Patrol agents.
Ms. Brockman, who is a U.S. citizen born in this country, was violently detained on Foster Avenue, on the north side of Chicago. As this occurred, individuals on the street began recording the incident and asked Ms. Brockman her name. In addition to providing her name, Ms. Brockman stated that she worked for WGN. She added this information because she hoped someone would notify her employer so her coworkers would know that she would not be arriving at work that day.
Ms. Brockman was detained and held in federal custody for approximately 7 hours before being released. She has not been charged with any crimes and she intends to pursue all legal avenues available to her to vindicate her rights and hold the federal authorities accountable for their actions.
Ms. Brockman is being represented by attorneys from the People’s Law Office in Chicago. Ms. Brockman and her legal team adamantly deny any allegation that she assaulted anyone. Rather, Ms. Brockman was the one who was violently assaulted by federal agents on her way to work. Ms. Brockman feared for her life multiple times throughout this terrifying experience.
‘This incident should be alarming and horrifying to every single person in this country,’ said Brad Thomson, one of Ms. Brockman’s attorneys at People’s Law Office. ‘If armed, masked, federal agents are snatching U.S. citizens off the street as they walk to work and throwing them in unmarked vehicles, you can only imagine what these agents must be willing to do to our immigrant neighbors and people who dare to speak out against them.‘
Thomson further stated, ‘Ms. Brockman was taken to the ground, battered, handcuffed and her pants were pulled down exposing her bare buttocks. No one should be treated like that in this city, in this country, or anywhere else in the world.‘
Ms. Brockman will not be making any statement at this time, as feels that she has been ‘exposed‘ enough.”
WGN also released a statement regarding the incident:
On the morning of Friday, October 10, 2025, a WGN-TV employee was detained by border patrol agents who are in Chicago working on immigration enforcement with ICE.
She was subsequently released, and no charges were filed against her.
This employee is not a journalist and was not working at the time.
We continue gathering facts related to this situation.
Out of respect for her privacy, we have no further comment.
