BROADVIEW, Ill. (PulseWire) — A demonstration took a confrontational turn on Friday as protesters gathered outside a federal immigration enforcement facility in suburban Chicago, with the intent to prevent vehicles from entering and exiting the building. The protest was sparked by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launching a new operation this month focused on traffic stops in predominantly immigrant and Latino neighborhoods.
Dozens of demonstrators wielding American flags and signs inscribed with Hands off Chicago congregated outside the ICE building, situated about 12 miles west of downtown Chicago. As tensions escalated, authorities deployed what appeared to be a chemical agent to disperse the crowd, resulting in several protesters being taken into custody, as revealed by video footage released by local news outlets.
Among those present at the protest was Chicago City Council member Andre Vasquez, who detailed the law enforcement response as a combination of tear gas and pepper spray, stating, They want us to be afraid. Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton echoed this sentiment, asserting that the community would not retreat in the face of government intimidation.
The Broadview site serves as a temporary holding facility for immigrants pending detention or deportation, with its windows boarded up in a bid to shield its operations from public scrutiny. Activist groups have regularly gathered outside, including local Catholic nuns who conduct vigils in support of immigrant rights.
Local leaders, alongside various activist groups, have pledged to remain defiant against the ongoing crackdown, especially following an incident where a man was killed by an immigration officer last week. ICE has stated that agents were pursuing a man with a history of reckless driving, who allegedly evaded arrest and posed a threat to officers.
