The countdown is on Monday for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to comply with a judge’s ruling to remove a fence blocking the street in front of its Broadview processing center.
The village sued to have the 8-foot fence removed, saying it posed a public safety hazard because it blocks emergency responders.
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The judge’s ruling said the fence must be removed by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.
Monday morning, bulldozers were in position. But so far, there has been no apparent movement toward removing the fence, despite less than 36 hours remaining to comply with a federal judge’s order.
Illinois leaders gathered in Broadview on Monday to denounce what they call a “symbol of division.”
“Mr. Trump, tear down this fence now. Tear it down,” said Democratic Speaker Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, who represents the 7th District.
Welch convened state legislators, local mayors, and activist groups with a shared message of opposition to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The speaker drew parallels to the authoritarian regime of the former Soviet Union.
“An American president actually ordered an iron fence to be erected in American city. Just as the Berlin Wall did in 1961, this fence stands as a symbol of division,” Welch said.
Demonstrators have gathered in Broadview for weeks, expressing concern over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown operation “Midway Blitz.”
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The fence was erected back on Sept. 23 after clashes between protesters and federal agents turned violent.
Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson announced on Monday that she is issuing an executive order to remove the designated safety zone for protesters on 25th Avenue, leaving only the designated area along Beach Street for people to exercise their First Amendment rights.
“We have a right to protect the residents that live here. So, we have to put protocols in place to make sure that everybody is safe. This is a public safety issue. It’s not to take anybody rights away,” Thompson said.
Shortly after Monday’s news conference, Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, who represents the 8th District, arrived in Broadview, trying to get into the ICE facility. The congressman, who is running for Senate, said he talked to an assistant field office director for ICE on the phone.
“I understand your request, but at this point, I can’t authorize that visit,” that director apparently said over the phone.
Krishnamoorthi and the apparent ICE agent spoke for more than six minutes with media present.
“He was not willing to tell me who’s in there, how many holding cells are in there, or how long they’ve been held there,” Krishnamoorthi said.
Standing side-by-side with Krishnamoorthi, former Congressman Luis Gutierrez said this immigration crackdown is a violation of civil rights.
“People are being stopped because of their accent, because of the color of the skin, because of the job they do,” Gutierrez said.
