Suit: ICE Is Creating ‘Black Box’ Around Chicago-Area Site
Protesters gather outside an ICE processing facility in Broadview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, on Oct. 24. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Illinois-based advocates filed a lawsuit Friday against federal authorities, alleging “inhumane” conditions at a Chicago-area immigration processing center. The ACLU of Illinois and the MacArthur Justice Center claim that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at the Broadview facility have denied detainees private access to attorneys and have blocked visits from members of Congress, faith leaders, and journalists. The organizations say this “black box” environment has allowed authorities to operate “with impunity,” according to the Associated Press.
The complaint also alleges that ICE has pressured detainees to sign documents they do not understand, effectively causing them to relinquish their legal rights and face deportation without fully informed consent.
Alexa Van Brunt, director of the MacArthur Justice Center’s Illinois office and lead attorney on the lawsuit, described the situation as “community members being kidnapped off the streets; packed in holding cells; denied food, medical care, and basic necessities; and forced to sign away their legal rights.” She emphasized, “Everyone, no matter their legal status, has the right to access counsel and to not be subject to horrific and inhumane conditions.”
The lawsuit accuses ICE, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection of violating detainees’ Fifth Amendment right to due process and First Amendment right to legal counsel. Advocates are asking the court to compel the agencies to improve conditions at the facility.
The 76-page class-action complaint paints a stark picture of life inside Broadview, describing it as “extremely cramped” with strong odors of feces, urine, and body odor. Insects have been reportedly found in sinks, and clogged toilets have left urine on the floors. One man recounted detainees lying on top of each other and even in bathrooms due to lack of space. “They treated us like animals, or worse than animals, because no one treats their pets like that,” one woman said. The lawsuit notes that detainees have been held for periods ranging from several days to three weeks.
Concerns about conditions at Broadview have been raised for months by community advocates, members of Congress, political candidates, and activist groups. Lawyers and relatives of detainees describe the facility as a de facto detention center, where up to 200 people have been held at a time without legal counsel. DHS has previously rejected such claims, stating that detainees receive proper meals, medical treatment, and access to family members and attorneys. ICE and DHS representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.
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