CHICAGO (AP) — A boarded-up building in a small Chicago suburb has become a focal point in the ongoing federal immigration enforcement crackdown, with mounting accusations that the facility designed for processing arrestees is in reality a detention center marred by inhumane conditions.
The Trump administration has targeted the Chicago area for its latest immigration enforcement surge, flaunting hundreds of arrests made over the past three weeks.
Relatives, lawyers, and activists have expressed alarm over accounts from immigrants detailing experiences inside the Broadview brick building. Protests that were once routine have escalated, fueled by reports of federal agents employing chemical agents and physical force to control demonstrators.
Advocates claim that as many as 200 individuals may be held at the center at any given time, some for as long as five days without basic amenities like showers or a cafeteria. Reports indicate detainees are receiving limited food, water, and medical assistance, while communication with the outside world—including attorneys—is restricted.
“It’s a black hole,” said Erendira Rendón of The Resurrection Project, which has fielded requests for legal aid from nearly 250 arrested immigrants. “You can’t call the center. You can’t talk to anybody.”
Officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been unresponsive to numerous inquiries about facility operations and have denied requests for tours, raising concerns about transparency. Despite public records on detention populations, the Broadview center remains unlisted.
Questions Loom Over Center
For decades, Broadview, home to about 8,000 residents, has hosted a federal immigration processing center, located along a busy industrial corridor that often draws protestors and witnesses to emotional farewells before deportations.
However, questions about the purpose of the facility have intensified after President Trump signaled a return to robust deportation efforts. Illinois, known for its stringent sanctuary laws, effectively prohibits local law enforcement from collaborating with federal immigration agents, including for detention purposes.
Since these laws were enacted, state officials have reported that immigrants are being held at the Broadview processing center for days, with accounts of detainees forced to sleep on the floors, even in bathrooms.
U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and fellow Illinois Democrats sought a tour of the facility in June, noting the stark contrast between its described purpose and reported conditions. “What we've learned is that it is, in fact, functioning as a detention center, and these conditions are simply unacceptable,” he stated.
Limited Food and Crowded Quarters
Brenda Perez shared her ordeal of learning about her husband's arrest by ICE agents in Chicago, only confirming his location at Broadview upon spotting him in a social media video from outside the facility.
In heart-wrenching conversations, her husband recounted sleepless nights amid overcrowding, experiencing 24-hour stretches without food and receiving only a single bottle of water.
Tales from detainees and their families have emerged of dismal conditions, with advocates suspecting an underlying strategy by authorities to render imprisonment unbearable, pressuring individuals to opt for self-deportation.
Giselle Maldonado shared that her two uncles endured two days at Broadview with deplorable conditions leading to their immediate deportation. “It was claustrophobic and they were poorly treated—they were made to feel desperate and hopeless,” she lamented.
Clashing with the Community
The processing center has become a logistical nightmare for local leaders. The village, located around 12 miles from Chicago, experiences increased demand on law enforcement to manage escalating protests outside the facility.
With tensions rising, protests have seen clashes between demonstrators and federal agents utilizing aggressive crowd control tactics, including chemical agents. Armed guards now patrol the center's rooftops.
“Our community is living in fear as this processing center disrupts daily life,” said Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson.
The Department of Homeland Security has defended its measures, arguing they are necessary to protect federal personnel and labeling detained individuals as violent rioters.
Despite previous assurances from federal officials regarding operational transparency, communication has dwindled, leaving local authorities in the dark about changes and tactics being employed at the center.
The recent installation of a fence around the premises, purportedly for security purposes, has sparked additional controversy, with local officials expressing concerns about fire safety.
Mexican consulate representatives provide the limited communication between detainees and necessary medical resources, amid worsening anxieties among their citizens.
