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Faith leaders blocked from sharing Communion with detainees at Broadview ICE center

By Fox 32
Published  October 11, 2025 10:11pm CDT
Broadview
FOX 32 Chicago
Catholic group attempts to offer Communion to ICE detainees

Catholic group attempts to offer Communion to ICE detainees

A large group of Chicago area Catholics marched to the ICE detention center in Broadview today, hoping to share communion with detainees locked inside.

The Brief

    • Hundreds of Chicago-area Catholics, including priests and nuns, marched from a Maywood church to the ICE detention center in Broadview on Saturday, hoping to share Communion with detainees inside.
    • Illinois State Police blocked priests from entering the facility despite prior notice to ICE, leading faith leaders to call the denial a violation of the detainees’ right to worship.
    • Fifteen people were arrested during the demonstration, which organizers described as peaceful but deeply emotional, vowing to continue advocating for immigrant rights.

BROADVIEW, Ill. - A large group of Chicago area Catholics marched to the ICE detention center in Broadview Saturday, hoping to share Communion with detainees locked inside.

What we know:

Saying that no human is illegal, hundreds of Catholic priests, nuns and lay people led a march from a Catholic church in Maywood to the ICE detention center in Broadview.

"We came out in great strength today," Fr. David Inczauskis of the Coaltition for Spiritual and Public Leadership said. "Catholics from all around Chicagoland have come out to support our sisters and brothers detained here."

Their goal – not to create chaos – but to share communion with the detainees locked inside the Broadview facility. 
      
"Very clearly there are no strangers. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ," a priest said.

After a series of prayers, a contingent of priests moved towards the entrance to the ICE facility, but were stopped by a line of Illinois State Police. For several minutes, the priests explained what they wanted to do. A trooper made a call inside on their behalf but was told no.

"They called and they said this was the response. I respect the state police for what they can do and all that. But that's basically it. They're working through a middleman who refused to even talk to us. Which says something in itself," a priest said.

The Catholic contingent says they had notified ICE several days ago about their plans to share communion and had hoped the priests would be allowed to enter.

"We were denied that opportunity. We were denied the fundamental human right given by god, which is to worship. And those who are inside have been denied that right," Fr. Inczauskis said. "And so we leave today angry. But we also leave motivated in that we know we have a lot of organizing work to do to address the situation that we can only describe as evil."

There were 15 people arrested at the Broadview detention facility on Saturday.

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