Broadview mayor demands ICE halt ‘hostile actions,’ remove fence at processing center

BROADVIEW, Ill. - Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson called on the Department of Homeland Security to halt what she described as "hostile actions" against the community and to remove a security fence erected outside the village’s ICE processing facility.

During a Tuesday press conference, Thompson said the repeated use of chemical agents and force against protesters near the facility is "making war on my community" and endangering residents as well as first responders.

What we know:

Thompson cited escalating tactics by ICE agents, including the use of tear gas, pepper spray, mace and rubber bullets against demonstrators.

She said Broadview police officers and firefighters and other first responders have also been exposed to the chemicals, with some sidelined while they recovered.

"This unacceptable risk to those sworn to protect the community is a profound failure of the federal government to be a responsible neighbor," Thompson said. "It also is a moral failure."

Thompson also demanded the removal of a recently constructed fence around the ICE facility, which she said was built without permits and violates local ordinances. 

According to Broadview Acting Fire Chief Matt Martin, the fence extends the facility’s perimeter and blocks emergency access to other buildings in the industrial area off 25th Avenue.

"The federal government is not above the law, especially when their actions directly threaten the wellbeing of our residents and the safety of our public servants," Thompson said. "We demand that ICE immediately dismantle this illegal structure and halt all actions that put our citizens in harm’s way."

Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills said three separate criminal investigations have been launched into ICE activities since Operation Midway Blitz began in the Chicago area.

In a letter dated Sept. 26, Todd Lyons, the action director of ICE, wrote to Thompson said the processing center "continues to face violence and unlawful activity by rioters." He cited the deadly shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas in which the words "ANTI-ICE" were written on bullets used by the gunman.

Lyons said his agency has repeatedly requested help to protect the facility, including from the Broadview Police Department.

"Instead, local inaction has enabled agitators to escalate violence and placed federal officers, first responders, and Broadview residents in harm's way," he wrote. "If our officers were provided the support they need, the crowd control measures referenced in your letter would not be necessary."

In a news release responding to Thompson's statements on Tuesday, ICE said there was "no place for fearmongering, misinformation, or misplaced blame, which erodes public trust and may very well incite even more violence against the men and women of ICE." The agency said Thompson was "distorting reality, pointing her finger in the wrong direction, while our officers are protecting her community - and others - from real threats."

Read Lyons' full letter here.

Big picture view:

For over five weeks, protests and rallies have been held outside the ICE processing center located at 1930 Beach Street.

ICE uses the Broadview facility to process undocumented immigrants arrested during Operation Midway Blitz and Operation At Large. 

In recent confrontations, ICE agents have deployed pepper balls and tear gas at protesters.

Activists have been calling for investigations into the facility since July, claiming detainees sleep on floors, have no showers and get one meal a day. They argued the facility is being used as a detention center even though it was built for short holds of 12 hours. 

Last week, a tall fence was installed outside the center, allowing transport vehicles and ICE agents to enter and exit with fewer face-to-face interactions with demonstrators.

Dig deeper:

Five people have been charged for their alleged roles in the protests outside the Broadview ICE facility on Saturday when agents tried to break up the group, using gas and rubber bullets.

Federal officials said they made contact with agents who were outside trying to create a safe passage for other immigration personnel. A couple who was detained outside the facility was accused of carrying guns.