Chicago (AP) – A small Chicago suburb has made its way to the forefront Federal immigration crackdownthe growing accusations that the facility was intended to deal with the arrested are de facto detention centres plagued by inhumane circumstances.
The Trump administration has it target Chicago area for the latest surge in immigration enforcement Hundreds of arrested In the past three weeks.
Families, lawyers and activists are concerned about immigrant accounts as they are inside a brick building in Broadview. Daily protests outside the building have grown in recent weeks, with federal agents using chemicals and physical forces. Push the protester return.
Supporters say up to 200 people are being detained there at a time, and they are kept in spaces with no showers or cafeterias for up to five days. Immigrants report that they have little access to food, water and medicines. Communications including lawyers are limited.
“It’s a black hole,” said Elendila Rendon of the Revival Project, who received legal assistance requests from nearly 250 arrested immigrants. “You can’t call the centre. You can’t talk to anyone.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday called the terms of the claims false, adding that “detainees will be temporarily processed.”
Questions are at the center
Broadview, a suburban area with about 8,000 people, has also been the site of the Federal Immigration Processing Center for decades. Facilities located along industrial corridors are frequently urged Peaceful protest And then there’s a tearful farewell scene before people are deported.
But questions surrounding its use have increased since President Donald Trump pledged the White House to expel the masses.
Illinois has one of the strictest sanctuary laws in the country, and widely bans cooperation between local police and federal immigration agents, including detention.
The state effectively banned immigrant detention in 2021. Local cooperation agreement has ended Between the federal government and the county jail. Illinois Prohibited private detention In 2019, attempts to build new detention facilities failed, and there are no federal immigration detention centers in the state.
Illinois officials have been insisting for months that immigrants are being held at the processing center for several days, and are told to sleep on the floor, including toilets.
US lawmaker Jesus “Thuy” Garcia was part of an Illinois Democrat group that tried to tour the facility in June.
“We pointed out that this is a processing centre, but in fact, people who were detained there for days have shared with us that it is actually a detention centre,” he said. “It’s not enough to become a detention center.”
Limited food and crowded accommodation
Brenda Perez said her husband was arrested this month by an ice agent on the south side of Chicago. She finally confirmed that he was in Broadview when he saw him on a social media video filmed outside the center.
On a simple phone call he told her he couldn’t sleep because there were so many people to lie down. He reported going 24 hours a day without food.
“He was hungry and very thirsty and would ask them for food and water as they only ignored him,” she said with tears. He was later taken to Michigan State Jail.
Immigration rights advocates also argue that the Trump administration is trying to keep the conditions out of hand, and make people agree. Self-abolition. The authorities are trying Expanding detention space At a nearby cooperative prison, including Indiana.
Gisele Maldonado, 23, said her two uncles were detained at the Broadview facility for two days last week before being deported to Tijuana, Mexico.
Maldonado described this condition as “ugh,” and contributed to promptly signing a deportation letter rather than defending himself.
“It was busy,” she said. “They don’t feed them correctly. They don’t water them when they asked for water. These bright lights were open 24/7 and I couldn’t sleep.”
The US immigration and customs enforcement agency has rejected a recent tour request for “operational security.” The agency has publicly disclosed how many people are in the detention center, but the BroadView Processing Center is not listed.
DHS secretary Tricia McLaughlin rejected the allegations on “subprime terms” Thursday, saying the facility was not used for detention.
“Detainees will be temporarily disposed of before they are transferred to detention facilities,” she said. “All detainees will be provided with appropriate diet, treatment and have the opportunity to communicate with lawyers and their families.”
Clash with the community
The centre produced headaches for village leaders. The community, about 12 miles (19.31km) from Chicago, is small, but its business can attract as many as 55,000 workers.
Broadview’s 25 public-private police members are increasingly being converted into centres to help manage the protests.
Tensions have been flaring in recent weeks. Protesters were blocking vehicles, and federal agents responded with aggressive tactics, including the deployment of chemicals and physical forces. Armed guards patrol the roof.
“We have this processing centre in town and creates fear,” said Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson.
The Department of Homeland Security defends tactics, citing dangers to federal officials, and characterizes the arrested as “mob.”
Federal officials initially gave Thompson heads up The center shall be used as the “main processing location” for operations. However, communications are limited, including ignored requests that are subsequently notified when chemicals are used.
Federal officials got into the building windows and urged a city review of the building code. After the protests tense, federal authorities built fences overnight and extended onto public roads.
Village officials demanded that the fence be removed “illegally built” over security concerns from the fire department. It remained on Thursday.
The Mexican Consulate’s office is one of the few entities in communication with the authorities overseeing the Broadview facility. They helped Mexican citizens in detention.
Ambassador Reina Torres Mendyville, Mexican Consul General in Chicago, refused to discuss certain details, citing the diplomatic process. However, she said she has increased the immigration enforcement situation. It encourages fear It is unprecedented among Mexicans.
“The pain we see is quite a bit,” she said.
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Associated Press reporter Christine Fernando contributed to the report.
