The use of tear gas, flashbang grenades, and other crowd control weapons against protesters and journalists escalated significantly on Saturday after the mayor of Broadview criticized ICE’s tactics. Officials reported that eleven people were arrested at the ICE facility that day.
By Kate D’Avignon
BROADVIEW | A day after the mayor of suburban Broadview sounded the alarm about ICE officials “making war” in her community, federal authorities appeared to double down Saturday, arresting at least one journalist and using chemical weapons on protesters and members of the press.
In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, Mayor Katrina Thompson, Broadview, demanded the agency stop “deploying chemical arms, such as tear gas, pepper spray, etc., against American citizens, our residents, and our first responders,” at the ICE processing facility, located at 1903 Beach St. in Broadview. After the media covered the letter, Broadview police were warned by ICE of increased enforcement action on Saturday, which they believe is an act of retaliation by Homeland Security for speaking out.
“In retaliation for the Village of Broadview yesterday calling on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency to ‘stop making war on our community,’ ICE agents this morning informed the Broadview Police Department that there will be ‘a s*** show’ in Broadview today,” a press release from the village said.
Reports say that agents fired pepper balls into a group of about 75 protesters Saturday evening and made several arrests.
Steve Held, a journalist with Unraveled Press, and co-founder of the progressive grassroots organization, Invisible Chicago, was among those arrested Saturday, according to Unraveled and other journalists on the scene. Unraveled stated on social media early Sunday that Held was “safe” and among those released by federal authorities overnight.
Raven Geary, also representing Unraveled, was shot in the face by federal officers with a pepper ball on Friday. Geary sought medical attention afterwards, according to Unraveled. “We have never witnessed anything like what ICE has unleashed on our communities this week,” Unraveled said in a statement posted to social media Sunday.
The arrest count was confirmed by the National Lawyers Guild of Chicago, adding that five people remained in federal custody as of Sunday morning. The guild’s own legal observers were subjected to violence by ICE officers at the scene, it said in a statement.
In a pre-emptive joint statement regarding the planned Saturday protest, Mayor Daniel Biss of Evanston, State Senator Robert Peters, and Alderman Andre Vasquez (40th) cautioned civilians to avoid further demonstrations near the facility, expressing concerns that ICE might resort to lethal force against peaceful protestors.
“ICE has escalated its use of tear gas, pepper rounds, and rubber bullets, shooting protesters and members of the press in the face without provocation on numerous occasions,” the letter states. “ICE agents at Broadview have also unholstered their guns repeatedly, pointing machine guns and handguns directly at protesters. ICE is willing to use lethal force, as we’ve seen in the recent killing of Silverio Villegas Gonzalez in Franklin Park.”
Federal officers representing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were seen assisting Homeland Security agents outside the Broadview facility on Saturday.
Tensions have been escalating outside of the processing facility in the western suburb since mid September, when federal officers deployed pepper spray balls, tear gas, and flash-bang grenades aimed at protesters attempting to obstruct federal vehicles from entering and exiting the premises. The protest on Friday further escalated violence by federal officers against protesters, including a sniper who fired baton rounds into a crowd of hundreds gathered in a parking lot adjacent to the facility.
Saturday’s action comes as President Donald Trump announced a deployment of federal troops to ICE facilities in Portland, Oregon, and elsewhere – authorizing “full force” on protesters he described as extremists.
In a statement on Saturday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he is “monitoring the federal deployments” and is in close contact with the Broadview police.
“I urge members of the public to remain calm, stay safe, and document what you see with your phones and cameras,” Pritzker said. My senior team has also requested that legal organizations support on-the-ground monitoring. By observing and recording peacefully, we can ensure that any violations of the law are brought to light and those responsible are held accountable.”