Illinois Democrats, immigration advocates denied entry into ICE processing center in visit Wednesday

Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune on Jun 18, 2025

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CHICAGO — Four Illinois Democratic members of Congress joined immigration and human rights advocates Wednesday morning at a suburban federal immigration processing center, demanding entry into the facility to check on the conditions of the detainees held there.

Illinois Reps. Danny K. Davis, Jesús “Chuy” Garcia, Delia C. Ramirez and Jonathan Jackson were denied entry into the U.S. Immigration and Enforcement processing center in Broadview after being told they needed to make a request first with ICE.

“There is no regulation that requires us to give prior announcement or to schedule an appointment,” Garcia told the masked agent who came out to greet them. “We are here by our authority (as members of Congress) and we seek a meeting and an inspection of this facility.”

“I respect your request, but these are the instructions that we have,” the agent responded.

With news reporters watching, the group’s visit is just the latest effort by Democrats across the country to push back against President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration tactics and demand greater transparency over ICE’s escalated detainments. Democratic elected officials in recent days have publicly pressed for greater access to federal immigration facilities, and used the fact they were denied entry to demonstrate the federal arrests are undermining constitutional rights.

On Tuesday, U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Jackson tried to enter an ICE office at 2245 S. Michigan Ave., but were told to leave, Jackson said. The same day, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a mayoral candidate, was arrested for allegedly “assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer” at immigration court, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The arrest was captured on video that quickly went viral on social media.

Meanwhile, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson toured a field office in Chicago, according to WGN who had a camera crew there. The speaker met with local staff and officers, the TV station reported.

Last week, protests erupted across the country over Trump’s immigration crackdown, ignited after Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles amid unrest over ICE arrests there. On Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass lifted a curfew in downtown Los Angeles that had been in place since June 10.

Advocates from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and Organized Communities Against Deportation said Wednesday that some of those detained in Broadview are sleeping on the floor, eating cold food and unable to shower. Their lawyers have also said that people are spending more than 2 to 3 days at the facility when the processing center is only meant to hold detainees for a couple hours.

Because of the Way Forward Act, a state law enacted in 2021 that prohibits cooperation between local law enforcement and federal deportation authorities, Illinois does not have any detention centers. Detainees typically are transported to a detention center in a neighboring state.

“The law is being violated and broke,” Garcia said.

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