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Tag: broadview protest

  • 21 arrested outside Broadview ICE detention center as protesters clash with police; 4 officers hurt

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    BROADVIEW, Ill. (WLS) — Twenty one people were arrested and four police officers were injured Friday as protesters clashed with police outside a Broadview U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. There was a large protest Friday morning outside the building.

    Meanwhile, the ABC7 I-Team obtained new details Friday night on the list submitted by the DHS of the more than 600 migrants that a judge has ordered to be released by next Friday.

    SEE ALSO: Judge, attorneys inspect Broadview ICE facility amid ‘inhumane conditions’ allegations

    Just after 10 a.m., protesters moved from their designated zone, resulting in a clash with police.

    Protesters were pushed back, and several were detained.

    It was the largest crowd seen in Broadview in recent weeks.

    Members from the faith community were leading hundreds of people in the anti-ICE protest.

    They had hoped for it be non-violent. It was expected to be a prayer vigil with faith leaders requesting access inside the building.

    Counter-protesters were also present.

    SEE ALSO: Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates

    Cook County sheriff’s deputies, Illinois State Police and Broadview police were trying to hold the line.

    Some were in tactical gear, wearing face masks and holding batons and zip ties.

    Those arrested range in age from 25 to 69. They were charged with obstruction/disorderly conduct, officials said.

    The afternoon was calmer.

    Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson said in a statement that two Broadview police officers, one state trooper and a Cook County sheriff’s deputy were injured.

    “I have repeatedly pleaded to protesters to raise their voices, not their fists. They have chosen their fists. These out-of-towners have chosen to brutalize police officers who have been protecting their free speech and protecting them against assaults by ICE agents. We will see them in court,” the statement said.

    “It’s unfortunate we came out here to pray for our neighbors who have been taken by ICE. And we came out here in a non-violent way and within seconds batons were out. Tasers were pulled out, and people were pushed down” said Brandon, a protester.

    “This is an opportunity for us to testify to the evil that is in our country where it is unnecessary to be spending money to treat people in such a manner,” protester Sandra Castillo said.

    Border Czar Tom Homan also weighed in on the clashes.

    “Look, they got the right to protest. Have at it. But don’t cross the line. I was watching the videos before I came out here. When they, when they put hands on a law enforcement officer, they’re getting arrested, going to jail,” Homan said.

    A federal judge has ordered the release of hundreds of migrants arrested in the Chicago area, including some arrested under the Department of Homeland Security’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” by Nov. 21 after finding their arrests could have violated a 2022 consent decree.

    U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings sided with attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) representing detainees who said DHS violated a consent decree that limits the ability of federal agents to conduct warrantless arrests.

    Cummings ordered 13 people to be released by Friday at noon, and another 615 people will be released into “alternatives-to-detention” which could include electronic monitoring by next Friday, Nov. 21.

    The National Immigrant Justice Center said some were released. It’s not clear where the rest are being held. It’s possible some are in Broadview.

    The ABC7 I-Team obtained new details Friday night on the list submitted by the DHS of the more than 600 migrants that a judge has ordered to be released by next Friday.

    The judge had ruled that those 614 people should not be in custody while it’s determined whether they were arrested in violation of a previous consent decree – unless they posed a “high public safety risk.”

    According to the list from DHS, that ABC7 obtained from a court filing, 43 people were categorized as posing a “high” risk, and 101 people on the list are no longer in custody. That leaves 470 people who could be eligible for release by next Friday, pending an appeal by the government.

    DHS asked the judge to pause the release of hundreds of immigrants as the Trump administration considered an appeal. The federal judge is now requiring attorneys for the detainees to respond by Monday.

    DHS says the judge who ordered this release is putting American lives at risk.

    Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    Stephanie Wade

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  • Fencing around Broadview ICE facility set to be removed

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    BROADVIEW, Ill. (WLS) — Fencing around the ICE facility in Broadview is set to be removed soon.

    A judge ruled last week, that the fencing must come down by Tuesday. Monday morning, bulldozers were in position to potentially begin taking the fencing down.

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    The village sued to have the 8-foot fence removed, saying it posed a public safety hazard because it blocks emergency responders.

    SEE ALSO | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates

    RELATED | Appeals court upholds ruling blocking Trump admin. from deploying National Guard in Illinois

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  • Appeals court upholds ruling blocking Trump admin. from deploying National Guard in Illinois

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    BROADVIEW, Ill. (WLS) — As demonstrators kept their fight going outside the Broadview U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Saturday, at the same time, a court battle seemed to put an end to federal plans to have the National Guard on Chicago area streets, at least for now.

    The Trump administration on Friday asked an appeals court for an immediate stay of a Chicago federal judge’s ruling this week that blocked the National Guard from deploying in Illinois.

    The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday upheld the judge’s ruling, but did partially grant the Trump administration’s request for stay by allowing troops to remain federalized pending their appeal of the judge’s ruling.

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a statement later Saturday, saying, “The court’s order today keeps the troops off the streets of Chicago, Broadview or any other community in Illinois. This is a victory for our state. This is a victory for state and local law enforcement – who know their communities and who protect the right of their communities to speak truth to power.”

    The Department of Justice says the National Guard is needed to protect federal officers from violent attacks and called Judge April Perry’s move to grant the temporary restraining order “extraordinary.”

    Perry wrote in her opinion, after granting the state’s request for that temporary restraining order, that the deployment of the National Guard “is likely to lead to civil unrest.”

    Even as temperatures dropped, protesters’ voices still rang high outside the Broadview ICE detention center.

    Protests continued after local faith leaders held a prayer march to the facility Saturday morning. Their goal was to bring holy communion to detainees. Illinois State Police stationed outside the detention center said they called ICE with the request, which was denied.

    Before heading to the facility, the priests, nuns and community members gathered at a Maywood church for a prayer service.

    Bill Delong, a retired Army veteran visiting from Kentucky, was among the anti-ICE demonstrators in Broadview.

    “We all are Americans until due process,” Delong said. “I love my country, and I don’t know what happened, you know? When you start to see people get rolled up off the streets, hooded up, and thrown in vans; that’s something that we fought against.”

    SEE ALSO | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates

    The latest in the legal battle over National Guard deployments comes as protesters and agents have clashed multiple times in the past, ending with arrests.

    Officials said Saturday night that 15 people were arrested by Illinois State Police in connection to protests near the Broadview facility throughout the day. Most charges were resisting, obstruction and disobeying a police officer.

    Illinois Democrats and Republicans remain divided of the deployment of the National Guard to assist federal agents in their ongoing immigration enforcement operation across the Chicago area.

    “This is an intentional attack by this president to divide and separate our communities, but he has finally met his match in the greatest city in the world, in Chicago,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

    “I’m in disappointed in general,” Cook County Republican Party Chairman Aaron Del Mar said. “What we’re really trying to do is just implement the immigration laws that currently stands. And unfortunately, the protesters that are out there are disrupting the area to the point where it’s become unsafe for federal officers.”

    Meanwhile, another federal judge ruled the metal fence that was erected outside the Broadview ICE facility must come down by early next week. This comes after the Village of Broadview sued, saying it blocked this public road and could impact first responders getting to a scene.

    READ MORE | Broadview protest arrests, dropped charges influenced ruling to bar National Guard deployments

    Friday marked another day of anti-ICE demonstrations near the Broadview facility.

    Hundreds of people throughout the day could be seen rallying together, but authorities say at least four people were arrested for resisting and obstructing law enforcement.

    Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth were turned away from trying to visit the Broadview facility on Friday.

    And in a separate decision, a judge granted the village of Broadview’s temporary restraining order, calling for a fence, which was put up by federal agents and blocks a street near the facility, to come down. The government has until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday to take that fence down.

    The faith community stepped off from St. Eulalia Catholic Church before heading to the Broadview facility. The goal is to attempt to deliver communion people who may be being held at the facility. Broadview’s mayor was also expected to walk.

    Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    Christian Piekos

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  • Broadview protest arrests, dropped charges influenced ruling to bar National Guard deployments

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    BROADVIEW, Ill. (WLS) — A grand jury refusing to indict protesters arrested at the Broadview ICE facility played a role in an emergency ruling that now bars National Guard deployments in Illinois, the ABC7 I-Team has learned.

    U.S. District Judge April Perry cited the rejection of some criminal charges by grand jurors as one of the factors casting, “…significant doubt on DHS’ credibility and assessment of what is happening on the streets of Chicago.”

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    When grand juries meet, what happens behind closed doors is secret. They are convened without defense counsel present and have a low bar for probable cause –leading to the old adage that prosecutors could get a grand jury to” indict a ham sandwich.”

    But for one couple arrested for allegedly assaulting ICE agents during protests in Broadview, even the grand jury told prosecutors there wasn’t enough meat in the evidence to indict.

    In a post by Immigration and Customs enforcement to their more than one-million followers on X, Jocelyne Robledo and Ray Collins Called where called “armed rioters.” They were arrested by federal agents who said they were found with guns for alleged assault at the Broadview ice facility.

    But when prosecutors presented their case to a grand jury for official charges, which would have been serious, jurors issued a no-bill which is a formal response refusing to indict.

    It’s something ABC7 Chief Legal Analyst Gil Soffer told the I-Team is beyond rare.

    “It is extremely unusual that a grand jury returns a no bill or refuses to approve an indictment. It happens literally in handfuls of cases, out of tens of thousands of cases that are brought before a grand jury,” Soffer said.

    That’s because Soffer said Grand Juries are entirely one-sided.

    “The power of the prosecution is immense in a grand jury. There’s no defense lawyer present. There’s no judge present. And the prosecutor decides which evidence to present, what charges to present, how to frame them for the grand jurors,” he said.

    SEE ALSO | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates

    That no-bill and several other instances of charges against protesters being dropped over the past 72 hours like that of Luci Mazur who was arrested while protesting at the Broadview ICE facility.

    “Very scary, but I’m just glad it’s all over with,” she said.

    That directly contributed to the emergency ruling forbidding National Guard troops from being deployed by President Trump in Illinois. Judge April Perry calling government accounts uncredible.

    “She flatly said she did not find the evidence presented to her by the government credible. You don’t see that every day. You don’t hear that every day from a federal judge,” said Soffer.

    Chicago Kent College of Law Professor Richard Kling, who represented Collins reacted to the refusal of grand jury members to indict.

    “Prosecutors could have the grand jury return an indictment against a ham sandwich. Apparently, they had less evidence than a ham sandwich,” he quipped.

    Robledo and Collins are not out of the woods yet. The charges against them were dismissed without prejudice meaning they could be brought again at a later date, but the assertions relied on in court by DHS lawyers are now being called into question by both jurors and federal judges.

    Judge grants request to drop charges against neurodivergent man arrested during Broadview protest

    On Friday, a judge granted a request from federal prosecutors to drop charges against a man arrested during protests outside the Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.

    A judge granted a request from federal prosecutors drop charges against Paul Ivery. He was arrested during a Broadview ICE facility protest.

    Paul Ivery was charged with assaulting a Border Patrol officer last month.

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    Relatives say Ivery has intellectual disabilities. And a judge later released Ivery from jail, saying he does not pose a threat to the community.

    He is the fourth person arrested during protests at the suburban facility to have their charges dropped this week.

    Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    Mark Rivera

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  • Broadview ICE facility protest expected Friday; DOJ files notice of appeal to National Guard ruling

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    BROADVIEW, Ill. (WLS) — ABC7 is watching to see what happens next with National Guard troops in the Chicago area.

    A federal judge temporarily blocked the deployment to our area, but the Trump administration has already filed a notice of appeal.

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    The first large-scale weekly demonstration outside the Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility since that ruling is expected to get underway on Friday morning.

    Based on the judge’s order, for a two-week period, the National Guard is barred from being used in operations, but we will see if they still have a physical presence in Broadview.

    SEE ALSO | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates

    Judge April Perry’s decision came hours after the Guard arrived at the Broadview immigration facility on Thursday. Troops could be seen walking around and lingering near the facility.

    The Trump administration has argued that the bolstered military presence is needed to protect federal property and employees. But the judge said the government’s claims about an out-of-control public on the brink of rebellion were not credible.

    The White House responded to the judge’s move to grant a temporary restraining order, writing, in part, “President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities and we expect to be vindicated by a higher court.”

    Protest hours in Broadview are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, but it is not clear if demonstrators plan to adhere to the guidance.

    Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    Christian Piekos

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  • Trump administration federalizing 300 National Guard members in Illinois, White House confirms

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    CHICAGO (WLS) — The Trump administration federalizing 300 members of the Illinois National Guard, Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement on Saturday.

    The White House later confirmed that President Donald Trump has “authorized 300 national guardsmen to protect federal officers and assets” amid ongoing ICE raids in the Chicago area.

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    Pritzker said the Department of War gave him an ultimatum, telling him to call up the troops himself.

    “This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will,” Pritzker said, in part. He said the administration intends to federalize hundreds of National Guard troops “in the coming hours.”

    A White House spokesperson shared a statement with ABC7 Chicago Saturday night, saying, “Amidst ongoing violent riots and lawlessness, that local leaders like Pritzker have refused to step in to quell, President Trump has authorized 300 national guardsmen to protect federal officers and assets. President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities.”

    The announcement came after a federal judge in Oregon temporarily blocked Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in Portland for at least 14 days. Oregon’s governor, said in a statement, “justice has been served, and the truth has prevailed.”

    The concern over a deployment of Illinois National Guard members prompted an emergency motion filed by Broadview leaders Saturday. The village is seeking the removal of the fence erected by federal authorities around the ICE facility amid ongoing demonstrations.

    The village has called the fence illegal and a safety hazard, asking for a judge to grant the motion pending a Tuesday hearing on the village’s lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security.

    DHS responded to that motion in its own court filing, saying there’s no need for a hearing before Tuesday, bringing up the possibility of a settlement on Monday.

    RELATED | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates

    Amid the announcement of the federalization of the National Guard in Illinois, confrontations seemed to arise again Saturday in Broadview between demonstrators and Illinois State Police throughout the day.

    “It’s a continuing overreach by the president because the governor is responsible for calling up the troops when they think it’s necessary,” demonstrator Tony DiBenedetto said.

    A crowd of anti-ICE demonstrators cheered on at least four people ABC7 saw detained by Illinois State Police as they were walked into a Cook County Sheriff’s Office van in handcuffs. They were taken down as troopers were clearing the street outside the ICE detention center in Broadview, backing protesters into designated zones, feet from the immigration building and surrounded by concrete barriers. Federal agents were on the other side of the fence with their flying drone above it all.

    “I’m not here to deal with the State Police. I’m here to deal with the kidnapping that ICE is doing, and it’s immensely disappointing that State Police are putting themselves between us and ICE,” demonstrator Will Creutz said.

    Tensions continued throughout the night Saturday between Illinois State Police and demonstrators.

    Federal agents and protesters also clashed at the west suburban Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Friday morning.

    The Cook County Sheriff’s Office said at least five people were arrested during those clashes. They are facing charges such as resisting, obstruction and aggravated battery to a police officer.

    That clash came after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino were seen on the ICE facility’s roof just before 8 a.m. They were accompanied by several armed agents, cameras and a production crew.

    SEE ALSO | Federal agents shoot, injure armed woman in Brighton Park during alleged vehicle ramming, DHS says

    President Donald Trump has previously threatened to send the National Guard to Chicago to combat crime, and even said earlier this week that the city could become a training ground for the military.

    On Monday, Pritzker said he learned that DHS is requesting that 100 military personnel be sent to Illinois to protect ICE agents.

    Full Saturday statement from Pritzker:
    “This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will. It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.

    In the coming hours, the Trump Administration intends to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard. They will pull hardworking Americans out of their regular jobs and away from their families all to participate in a manufactured performance — not a serious effort the protect public safety. For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety. This is about control.

    This demand follows unprecedented escalations of aggression against Illinois citizens and residents. Yesterday, Kristi Noem’s and Greg Bovino’s masked agents threw chemical agents near an elementary school, arrested elected officials exercising their First Amendment rights, and raided a Wal-Mart. None of it was in pursuit of justice, but all of it was in pursuit of social media videos.

    I want to be clear: there is no need for military troops on the ground in the State of Illinois. State, county, and local law enforcement have been working together and coordinating to ensure public safety around the Broadview ICE facility, and to protect people’s ability to peacefully exercise their connotational rights. I will not call up our National Guard to further Trump’s acts of aggression against our people.

    In Illinois, we will do everything within our power to look out for our neighbors, uphold the Constitution, and defend the rule of law.”

    Statement from Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton:
    “Donald Trump intends to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard and deploy them to Chicago without the consent of Governor Pritzker or our administration. These are Illinoisans who will be ripped away from their families to serve in Trump’s political stunt. We have warned that this has been their plan all along, and now it’s here.

    Our city is not a sandbox for Donald Trump to play dictator. It’s intentional cruelty that will devastate families and scar our communities.

    Let me be clear: the only emergency in Chicago is the chaos that Donald Trump and his administration are deliberately fueling in our streets. Journalists targeted and shot at, peaceful residents dragged from their homes, women and children zip-tied in the streets, families torn apart and stuffed into U-Hauls. This is unacceptable, reprehensible, and not what we stand for in Illinois.

    “I have spent my career working to make communities safer and lead on public safety for our administration. Not a single violence-prevention expert I have worked with has ever said the answer is to flood our neighborhoods with federal troops. This move will only serve to spread fear, escalate conflict, and undermine the trust that keeps communities safe.

    To the people of Illinois: know that Governor Pritzker and I will use every tool at our disposal to defend our city, protect our residents, and resist this reckless, authoritarian power grab.”

    Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    Tre Ward

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  • Broadview challenges ICE security fence in federal court

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    The village of Broadview on Friday filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over the security fence constructed around the ICE detention facility that has seen daily protests and federal agents using tear gas and other weapons on crowds.

    The suit, which seeks a temporary restraining order and the immediate removal of the 8-foot-tall fence, accused DHS of constructing the fence “in the middle of the night without notice” and physically depriving the village of its right to control its own land.

    Broadview residents are scared as ICE facility becomes a battleground for Trump immigration blitz

    “The fence also constitutes an immediate public safety hazard, in violation of multiple generally applicable municipal ordinances, as it prevents the village’s emergency service personnel and vehicles from reaching any of the commercial and industrial properties located on the other side of the fence,” the suit stated.

    Attached as an exhibit was a letter sent by Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson to DHS officials on Sept. 26 complaining not only about the fence but the “relentless deployment of tear gas, pepper spray, mace and rubber bullets” outside the facility that she said was harming not only protesters exercising their First Amendment rights but also Broadview police and firefighters working at the scene.

    The move came on the same day crowds again protested at the site. No tear gas was used but several people were arrested.

    In response, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons wrote that rioters were “laying siege and interfering with legitimate law enforcement operations” and that the agency had no intention to change its “operational posture.”

    “You can either continue to be part of the problem or choose to be part of the solution by directing your police to enforce local ordinances and working with us to remove violent offenders,” Lyons wrote.

    A hearing on the temporary restraining order was initially set for Tuesday. On Saturday, however, after Gov. JB Prizker announced that Trump intended to send National Guard troops to Broadview, the attorneys asked that the hearing be held as soon as possible.

    “The presence of the National Guard will only exacerbate an already volatile situation,” wrote Charles Huff, an attorney for the village.

    In response, lawyers for the Department of Justice wrote there was no emergency that should prompt such a rushed hearing — including any National Guard call-up.

    “It is hard to see how such a peace-keeping deployment will make tearing down the fence more of an emergency,” the government’s motion stated.

    Originally Published:

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    Jason Meisner

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  • Trump administration seeking to federalize 300 Illinois National Guard members, Governor says

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    CHICAGO, Illinois — The Trump administration is looking to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard, Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement on Saturday.

    Pritzker said the Department of War gave him an ultimatum, telling him to call up the troops himself.

    “This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will,” Pritzker said, in part. He said the administration intends to federalize hundreds of National Guard troops “in the coming hours.”

    This comes after federal agents and protesters clashed at the west suburban Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Friday morning.

    The Cook County Sheriff’s Office said at least five people were arrested during those clashes. They are facing charges such as resisting, obstruction and aggravated battery to a police officer.

    That clash came after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino were seen on the ICE facility’s roof just before 8 a.m. They were accompanied by several armed agents, cameras and a production crew.

    And Friday night, with helmets and batons, a phalanx of Cook County sheriff’s officers kept demonstrators from blocking the street in a tense standoff, capping a day of protest.

    President Donald Trump has previously threatened to send the National Guard to Chicago to combat crime, and even said earlier this week that the city could become a training ground for the military.

    On Monday, Pritzker said he learned that DHS is requesting that 100 military personnel be sent to Illinois to protect ICE agents.

    ABC7 has reached out to the Trump administration for comment but did not immediately hear back.

    Full statement from Pritzker:
    “This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will. It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.

    In the coming hours, the Trump Administration intends to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard. They will pull hardworking Americans out of their regular jobs and away from their families all to participate in a manufactured performance — not a serious effort the protect public safety. For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety. This is about control.

    This demand follows unprecedented escalations of aggression against Illinois citizens and residents. Yesterday, Kristi Noem’s and Greg Bovino’s masked agents threw chemical agents near an elementary school, arrested elected officials exercising their First Amendment rights, and raided a Wal-Mart. None of it was in pursuit of justice, but all of it was in pursuit of social media videos.

    I want to be clear: there is no need for military troops on the ground in the State of Illinois. State, county, and local law enforcement have been working together and coordinating to ensure public safety around the Broadview ICE facility, and to protect people’s ability to peacefully exercise their connotational rights. I will not call up our National Guard to further Trump’s acts of aggression against our people.

    In Illinois, we will do everything within our power to look out for our neighbors, uphold the Constitution, and defend the rule of law.”

    Statement from Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton:
    “Donald Trump intends to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard and deploy them to Chicago without the consent of Governor Pritzker or our administration. These are Illinoisans who will be ripped away from their families to serve in Trump’s political stunt. We have warned that this has been their plan all along, and now it’s here.

    Our city is not a sandbox for Donald Trump to play dictator. It’s intentional cruelty that will devastate families and scar our communities.

    Let me be clear: the only emergency in Chicago is the chaos that Donald Trump and his administration are deliberately fueling in our streets. Journalists targeted and shot at, peaceful residents dragged from their homes, women and children zip-tied in the streets, families torn apart and stuffed into U-Hauls. This is unacceptable, reprehensible, and not what we stand for in Illinois.

    “I have spent my career working to make communities safer and lead on public safety for our administration. Not a single violence-prevention expert I have worked with has ever said the answer is to flood our neighborhoods with federal troops. This move will only serve to spread fear, escalate conflict, and undermine the trust that keeps communities safe.

    To the people of Illinois: know that Governor Pritzker and I will use every tool at our disposal to defend our city, protect our residents, and resist this reckless, authoritarian power grab.”

    Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    WLS

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  • Anti-ICE protests continue at Broadview facility, downtown Chicago as federal presence grows

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    BROADVIEW, Ill. (WLS) — There was an amplified presence of federal agents Saturday in Broadview after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on social media that the Trump administration was directing more resources to Chicago.

    It appeared that Border Patrol has taken over operations at the west suburban ICE facility, and they were quick to detain several protesters throughout the evening while firing off pepper bullets to disperse the crowds.

    Demonstrators have been protesting against the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement blitz happening across the Chicago area.

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    The developments came after the village said in a statement that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents told officials in Broadview they would launch enforcement throughout the west suburb on Saturday.

    The village says ICE agents told Broadview police that there will be a “s*** show” in the area and that federal officers will deploy chemicals again.

    In a statement, Broadview said this is all in retaliation to the village calling on ICE to “stop making war on our community.”

    “Let’s be clear. ICE is seeking to intimidate the Village of Broadview because we dared exercise our 1st Amendment constitutional rights calling for an end to their war on Broadview. We will not be intimidated. We are Broadview strong,” the village said in a statement, in part.

    Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement, saying, “This is made up. Our law enforcement enforces the rule of law. Period.”

    RELATED | Broadview police chief says he was verbally attacked by ICE agent; mayor criticizes ICE in letter

    The continued protests Saturday at the Broadview ICE facility came after Friday night’s standoff between demonstrators and federal agents.

    Some local organizations held a press conference in the afternoon, continuing to speak out against the operations going on there. The Revolutionary Black Panther Party is one of the organizations that spoke.

    There have been contentious moments the last couple of days, including the use of pepper bullets and other crowd controlling measures from DHS agents. Many of the protesters there Saturday have been the same people showing up to the facility every day, and they say that those tactics from ICE will not deter them from continuing to protest.

    Throughout the day agents chased down some protesters and detained them while also coming out to take any kind of shields or umbrellas from the crowd. Protesters believe the use of force has gone too far.

    “We oppose this kind of authoritarianism that is invading our city and suburbs,” community activist Andy Thayer said. “It’s not helping anyone.”

    After several escalations between protesters and federal agents over the last few weeks in Broadview, Attorney General Bondi says there will be no tolerance moving forward.

    “More than 200 violent rioters were at a Chicago ICE facility chanting ‘Arrest ICE. Shoot ICE,’” Bondi said in a video posted to X. “At least one had a gun. We’ve seen this before. We saw it in Portland and the LA riots. These are not peaceful protests. These are coordinated attacks by radical extremists, and they end now.”

    Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino also arrived to the Broadview facility Friday. He did not answer questions from reporters as he led operations on the ground.

    Crowd-controlling measures like pepper bullets were deployed several times in an attempt to push protesters back.

    Local immigration lawyer Louise Carhart was apart of the crowd. She says the federal agencies do not belong there.

    “All of these agencies are funded by tax payer dollars and they’re being deputized for things they are not authorized to do,” Carhart said. “That’s a misuse of public funds, and I think protesters have every right to be out here.”

    Also on the scene Saturday were a few opposition protesters, who say they stand with ICE and believe this is what Illinois needs right now.

    Anti-ICE protesters in Chicago also gathered Saturday in the Loop, sending a similar message to the Trump administration. They rallied at Federal Plaza and marched a bit through downtown, with chants and signs standing up against ICE operations.

    SEE ALSO | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates

    Officers used chemical agents multiple times in an effort to disperse the crowds on Friday in Broadview, and federal authorities said of the people arrested had a gun.

    Elias Cepeda, a volunteer with Pilsen Defense and Access, is seen in this video posted to Instagram right before his arrest. The 41-year-old has joined other protesters at the facility for weeks.

    His mother says her son is a legal Concealed-Carry License holder and is demanding his release while other demonstrators shared their account of his arrest.

    DHS commented on Cepeda’s arrest and the discovery of his firearm, writing in a post to X, in part, “This is transpiring just a few days after the horrific terrorist attack on an ICE facility in Dallas.”

    Demonstrators say the other man arrested on Friday is a military veteran.

    Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson has urged Broadview residents to “take all necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families in order to stay out of harm’s way.”

    Illinois Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement in response to the federal deployments in the village of Broadview:
    “The State of Illinois is closely monitoring the federal deployments in the Village of Broadview. Public safety is always my top priority, and the Illinois State Police remain in close communication with the Broadview Police Department to monitor and maintain public safety.

    “Whether it be in Broadview here in Illinois or in Portland, Oregon, the Trump Administration is intentionally creating chaos to threaten sending military troops to American cities and suburbs. The suggestion that chemical agents like tear gas or pepper spray could be used indiscriminately against peaceful demonstrators, or even first responders, is unacceptable and not normal.

    “Illinois will always defend Americans’ right to peacefully protest and make their voices heard. We denounce any violence against the general public, members of the media, and law enforcement or first responders. Even when the Trump Administration does not follow the law, we will.

    “I urge members of the public to remain calm, stay safe, and document what you see with your phones and cameras. My senior team has also asked legal organizations to support monitoring on the ground. By observing and recording peacefully, we can ensure that any violations of the law are brought to light and those responsible are held accountable.”

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    Christian Piekos

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