BROADVIEW, Ill. – A fourth straight Friday of demonstrations is underway outside the ICE facility in Broadview, where activists have been protesting the transfer of detainees to out-of-state holding centers.
Broadview ICE protest
What we know:
Protesters gathered again Friday morning behind a security fence installed to keep them from blocking transport vehicles leaving the gated parking lot.
Last week’s protest turned violent when demonstrators tried to block the driveway to the immigrant processing center. Ten people were arrested after ICE agents fired pepper balls and gas canisters from the roof, sending protesters running, coughing and vomiting.
Immigrant rights advocates and members of the public have rallied at the site for decades, some praying for detainees they describe as being held in inhumane conditions.
Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson has warned that use of the facility could last 45 days and might disrupt nearby businesses and emergency routes.
As of Friday morning, the latest demonstration remained peaceful, though some protesters were moving along the street in an apparent effort to get closer to the building despite the fence.
The Source: The information in this report came from the Broadview Mayor and on-the-scene reporting from FOX 32’s Joanie Lum.