Illinois Advocates Challenge Inhumane Conditions in Immigration Facility

Fri Oct 31 2025 23:30:33 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A lawsuit has been filed against federal authorities for allegedly violating the rights of individuals detained at a Chicago-area immigration facility, citing instances of coercion and lack of access to legal counsel.

Advocates, including the ACLU of Illinois, have filed a lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), claiming that detainees at the Broadview facility are subjected to inhumane conditions. The suit alleges that detainees are denied private communication with attorneys, coerced into signing documents, and barred from receiving visitors, including congress members and journalists. Legal representatives seek improvements in detainee treatment and access to due process, asserting that everyone's legal rights should be protected regardless of their immigration status.

CHICAGO (AP) — A coalition of advocates has initiated legal action against federal authorities, claiming that the conditions at a Chicago-area immigration facility are inhumane and violate the rights of those detained.

Representatives from the ACLU of Illinois and the MacArthur Justice Center have filed the lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), emphasizing that detainees at the Broadview facility are being denied their right to private conversations with legal counsel. The lawsuit highlights that members of Congress, religious leaders, and journalists have also been barred from entering the facility, creating a situation described as a 'black box' in which detainees' rights are ignored.

According to the suit, detainees have been coerced into signing documents that they do not understand, potentially leading to unintentional waivers of their legal rights and facing expedited deportation. In a statement, Alexa Van Brunt, the lead attorney from the MacArthur Justice Center, condemned the treatment of detainees, describing it as akin to kidnapping, where they are packed into holding cells, denied adequate food and medical care, and pressured into giving up their legal rights.

The lawsuit aims to demand improvements in the treatment and conditions of detention for individuals held at the Broadview facility. Attorneys argue that everyone, regardless of their immigration status, is entitled to access legal representation and should not have to endure terrible conditions in detention.

ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have yet to comment on the allegations. Advocates for the detainees have previously voiced concerns about the facility, which has faced mounting scrutiny from lawmakers and activist groups regarding its treatment of individuals.

Furthermore, the lawsuit draws attention to broader issues of civil liberties, asserting that the rights under the Fifth Amendment to due process and the First Amendment to legal counsel are being infringed upon by current practices at the facility. A ruling in this matter could set important precedents surrounding the treatment of detainees within the immigration system.