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Legal representatives acting for a producer from the city of Chicago's local TV network who was briefly held by federal agents last week characterize the event as "something that should concern and horrify each individual in this nation".

Details of the Arrest

Debbie Brockman, a US citizen and WGN employee, was arrested on Friday by government officers during an ICE operation in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood. Footage from the location show Brockman being forced to the ground by officers before she is handcuffed and placed in a vehicle.

At the moment, a government spokesperson stated that the individual "hurled items at border patrol's car" and was "placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer".

Subsequently that day, WGN announced that their employee had been released from federal custody and that no charges had been filed against her.

Legal Team's Reaction

In a statement issued by lawyers representing Brockman on Tuesday, her representatives challenged the official version. They stated they "strongly refute any allegation that she attacked anyone" and that "Brockman was the one who was violently assaulted by officers on her way to work" on the date in question.

Her attorneys say that at the time of the detainment, Brockman was "not acting in any professional capacity as an employee for WGN" but that she was just "heading to the bus stop as part of her daily travel when she was confronted by federal officers.

"The individual, who is a American citizen native to the US, was violently detained on a city street," the release adds. "As this happened, individuals on the street began recording the incident and asked Ms Brockman her name."

The release indicates that she informed the bystanders her name and that she worked at the station, in the hopes that "a person would notify her employer so coworkers would know that she would not be coming at work that day", her lawyers said.

Aftermath and Legal Action

Based on her lawyers, Brockman was held in government detention for about several hours before being freed.

"The individual has not been accused with any offenses and she intends to pursue all legal avenues available to her to uphold her rights and ensure government accountability for their actions," the statement adds.

"Brad Thomson, a legal representative, added in the statement: "When armed, masked, government officers are snatching American nationals 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 foreign-born residents and people who choose to speak out against them."

"The journalist was forced down, battered, handcuffed, and her trousers were lowered revealing her uncovered skin," the lawyer said. "No one should be treated like that in this metropolis, in this nation or any other place in the globe."

Immigration authorities, the federal agency, and the border agency did not provide a prompt reply to requests for comment from news outlets.