CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge is expected to hear arguments Tuesday after Illinois groups sued federal authorities last week for what they described as “inhumane” conditions at a Chicago-area immigration facility.
U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman called for a morning hearing, acknowledging that the timeline was “rushed.” However, he emphasized the urgent nature of the case and the request for relief. During the emergency hearing held on Friday, plaintiffs' lawyers articulated the situation as a “human rights emergency.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and the MacArthur Justice Center represent the plaintiffs, alleging that detainees at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview were denied proper access to food, water, and medical care. Furthermore, detainees were purportedly denied private calls with attorneys, coercing them into signing paperwork they did not understand, ultimately leading to an inadvertent relinquishing of their rights and facing deportation.
In response, officials from the Department of Homeland Security have denied these allegations, arguing that such claims have contributed to a rise in death threats against immigration officers.
On Friday, Judge Gettleman ordered that the primary plaintiffs be swiftly returned to the Chicago area prior to the hearing. Attorneys for the federal government stated that Pablo Moreno Gonzalez and Felipe Agustin Zamacona—Mexican immigrants detained by ICE—had been moved from the Broadview facility earlier that day.
For months, advocates have expressed concerns regarding conditions at the facility, which has faced scrutiny from Congress members, political candidates, and advocacy groups. Family members and lawyers have labeled it a de facto detention center, indicating that up to 200 individuals have been held at one time without legal counsel.
The Broadview center has also become a focal point for demonstrations, culminating in multiple arrests of protesters. These events instigated a separate lawsuit from a coalition of news outlets and demonstrators claiming that federal agents violated their First Amendment rights, notably through the use of tear gas and other devices against the protesters.
