Additional Coverage:
- Protesters arrested after clashing with police outside Chicago-area immigration facility (nbcnews.com)
21 Arrested, Officers Injured in Broadview Immigration Facility Protest
BROADVIEW, IL – Twenty-one individuals were arrested Friday outside a federal immigration facility in Broadview, a suburb of Chicago, following a protest that turned confrontational. Activists claim the facility operates as a de facto detention center and is rife with inhumane conditions.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the arrests occurred by midday and stated that authorities are working to verify identities and potential charges.
Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson reported that four law enforcement officers sustained injuries during the clash. In a stern statement, Thompson denounced the violence, saying, “The violence by out-of-town protesters that has led to two Village of Broadview police officers, one Illinois State police officer, and a Cook County Sheriff’s deputy being injured this morning, with the two Broadview officers and the sheriff’s deputy being transported to Loyola hospital, is unacceptable and outrageous.
I have repeatedly pleaded to protesters to raise their voices, not their fists. They have chosen their fists.”
Prior to the confrontation, demonstrators were observed singing and chanting. Around 10 a.m., a large group reportedly crossed a protest barrier and attempted to approach the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, seemingly aware of the likelihood of arrest.
Protesters carried signs with messages such as “God’s Love Knows No Borders” and “God Demands Freedom,” with some engaging in prayer. The crowd, estimated at approximately 300 individuals, began to disperse after the arrests. Law enforcement personnel present included officers from the Illinois State Police and Cook County Sheriff’s Police.
The Broadview facility has been the site of frequent protests, especially on Fridays. These demonstrations are often in opposition to “Operation Midway Blitz,” a federal immigration crackdown that has resulted in over 3,200 arrests in the Chicago metropolitan area since September for suspected immigration law violations.
The tactics employed by agents from Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have faced repeated scrutiny through both legal challenges and street protests.