Sheri Mecklenburg, the lead grand jury prosecutor in the federal case against six protesters arrested outside the Broadview ICE facility near Chicago, has retired from the Justice Department under protest. The case collapsed when the felony charges were dropped and the remaining misdemeanors were dismissed with prejudice amid allegations of grand jury misconduct, which U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros did not dispute in court. In her letter, Mecklenburg says Boutros personally directed the felony prosecution over her objection, made her a scapegoat, and threatened to fire her if she rebutted the allegations. A Justice Department spokesperson called her account false, saying her own written recommendation listed the felony as the strongest charge.

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