CHICAGO (AP) — Authorities arrested 21 protesters Friday outside a Chicago-area federal immigration facility that activists say functions as a de facto detention center and is plagued by inhumane conditions. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office reported the arrests were made by midday, as they verified identities and assessed potential charges.
Just moments before the clash, demonstrators were singing and chanting. Around 10 a.m., a large group, aware that they were heading towards arrest, allegedly crossed the protest barrier and attempted to walk up toward the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
Some protesters bore signs reading, “God’s Love Knows No Borders” and “God Demands Freedom,” and others engaged in prayer. The crowd, initially around 300, began to disperse following the confrontations.
Law enforcement included officers from the Illinois State Police and Cook County sheriffs' police. The facility in Broadview, Illinois, has become a focal point for protests, particularly on Fridays, in opposition to a federal immigration operation known as “Operation Midway Blitz,” which has led to over 3,200 arrests in the Chicago metropolitan area since September for suspected immigration law violations.
The aggressive tactics employed by agents from Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have faced significant criticism through both legal challenges and public protests.
Just moments before the clash, demonstrators were singing and chanting. Around 10 a.m., a large group, aware that they were heading towards arrest, allegedly crossed the protest barrier and attempted to walk up toward the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
Some protesters bore signs reading, “God’s Love Knows No Borders” and “God Demands Freedom,” and others engaged in prayer. The crowd, initially around 300, began to disperse following the confrontations.
Law enforcement included officers from the Illinois State Police and Cook County sheriffs' police. The facility in Broadview, Illinois, has become a focal point for protests, particularly on Fridays, in opposition to a federal immigration operation known as “Operation Midway Blitz,” which has led to over 3,200 arrests in the Chicago metropolitan area since September for suspected immigration law violations.
The aggressive tactics employed by agents from Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have faced significant criticism through both legal challenges and public protests.
