A Chicago-based migrant advocate met Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square on October 28, bringing him letters from migrants and photographs of initiatives led by a coalition that has made more than 135 visits to 725 detainees in an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, since May.
Abigail Ortiz Valles, a Mexican migrant and Scalabrinian laywoman, traveled to Rome with fellow members of the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL) to attend the General Audience.
During her brief encounter with the Pope, Ortiz Valles spoke about her experiences at the Broadview ICE Detention Center. Besides her, around 30 CSPL members took part in the visit, including priests, deacons, students, and Catholic leaders.
Coalition efforts
Broadview, located 15 kilometers from downtown Chicago, has become a central focus of CSPL’s efforts to support migrants facing detention…