BROADVIEW, Ill. – A coalition of journalists, clergy, and protesters filed a federal lawsuit Monday accusing the Trump administration of violating their First Amendment rights through the use of violent tactics by federal agents at the ICE facility in Broadview.
What we know:
The 52-page complaint alleged that federal forces deployed to Illinois used tear gas, rubber bullets, and other projectiles against members of the press, religious leaders, and peaceful demonstrators protesting alleged mistreatment of detainees at the suburban Chicago processing center.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs are seeking an emergency court order to halt what they describe as “a pattern of extreme brutality in a concerted and ongoing effort to silence the press and civilians.”
The lawsuit names Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Gregory Bovino and President Donald Trump, among others, as defendants.
Plaintiffs include journalists from outlets such as Block Club Chicago, clergy members like Pastor David Black of the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, and protesters who claim they were injured by federal agents’ crowd-control measures.
Attorneys from several civil rights groups, including the ACLU of Illinois, Loevy + Loevy, and Protect Democracy, are representing the plaintiffs. They are also seeking a temporary restraining order to immediately block further use of force at the Broadview facility.
Tap here to read the full complaint
The Source: The information in this report came from the American Civil Liberties Union.