Illinois congresswoman tours Broadview ICE facility, finds 'unacceptable' conditions

Rep. Lauren Underwood visits Broadview ICE facility: 'Unacceptable'

After several months, ICE let a sitting member of Congress visit the inside of its processing facility in suburban Broadview.

BROADVIEW, Ill. - After several months, ICE has finally let a sitting member of Congress tour its processing facility in suburban Broadview. 

That Illinois congresswoman said Monday that she saw conditions that no one would want to be a part of. 

What we know:

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Naperville) said she worked with Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem for weeks to arrange the visit, and she became the first sitting member of Congress to view the inside of this facility since the launch of Operation Midway Blitz in September. 

Underwood said there were no detainees or staff members inside on Monday. The population has dwindled as Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino left town with many of his agents. 

What they're saying:

The congresswoman said she saw holding cells that can fit between 40 and 45 people with working showers, but she noticed the substandard toilets. She said she understands now why a lawsuit on the conditions at the facility has succeeded to this point.

"It does not meet what I would consider to be the minimum criteria for a detention cell, and the staff people from ICE were clear with us that they are under no legal obligation to meet those criteria because this is not a detention facility. This is a processing facility," Underwood said. "And so there is obviously ongoing litigation about the conditions in the Broadview facility that are, again, unacceptable given that we know that people have been held here for days, multiple days on end."

Indeed, ICE has said several times that the Broadview facility is not for holding, but for processing, even though there have been many reports of people held there for days at a time. 

Underwood said she has constituents who complain they can't locate their loved ones there, they can get medications to them, and she said it's clear ICE is planning to expand operations, already putting out contracts for more office space and plans to hire more workers. 

An ICE spokesperson did not respond to a request about Monday’s visit by the congresswoman.