Illinois Accountability Commission testimony by client Jennifer Moriarity on April 28, 2026, regarding her detention by federal agents near her home in Evanston, Illinois in 2025

State of Illinois summary of Illinois Accountability Commission testimony on April 28, 2026, featuring client and U.S. citizen Jennifer Moriarty, who was detained by federal agents near her home in Evanston, Illinois, on Halloween 2025.

Testimony #5: Jennifer Moriarty, Evanston resident who recounted her hours-long victimization at the hands of federal agents Timothy Donahue and Thomas Parsons

On October 31, 2025, Jennifer Moriarty took a walk through her community in Evanston. During her walk, she witnessed a car accident of a vehicle “break-checking” and causing a vehicle to crash into the back of them. Immediately, masked federal agents got out of the vehicle that was rear-ended. She began filming with her cellphone when an agent grabbed her by the neck and threw her on the ground, before climbing on top of Moriarty and handcuffing her, and putting her in the back of a vehicle. Agent Timothy Donahue threatened to spray her in the face with mace and pulled her purse and sliced the strap with a knife. She was then taken to a federal facility where agents went through her belongings and asked her questions before her release. She was also retaliated against with her global entry status being revoked the following Monday.

“It’s made us stronger. I wasn’t engaged in, you know, I didn’t have a whistle before this day, I do now,” said Jennifer Moriarty. “I make sure that certain families that are struggling and cannot—afraid to go to the store. I do grocery shopping. I do things like that...It’s my obligation to do whatever I can to save our democracy and to preserve something for the future, for my child and everybody else’s child, this is not the world we’re supposed to be giving them."

To watch the hearing recording, visit www.youtube.com/@illinoisDHR/streams.