Protestors, members of the clergy and state law enforcement continue to gather in Broadview for the ongoing protests at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center, which is being used as the headquarters for President Trump’s Operation Midway Blitz. 

The protests, which have been happening for a month, have been described by Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson as “American citizens exercising their first amendment rights.” In contrast, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem calls it a place where protesters inflict “acts of violence on a regular basis.”

In the latest round, at least four people were detained on Friday by Illinois State Police. Projectiles and chemical irritants, like pepper balls and tear gas, were not deployed.

Illinois State Police, Cook County Sheriff’s Department and Broadview Police were the law enforcement seen monitoring and arresting protestors. State police first made their presence known at the Friday protest last week, where an Oak Park Township Trustee Juan Muñoz was detained and released by ICE. 

Despite a 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. protest curfew put into place Monday, Oct. 6, protestors moved to the barricaded side of 25th street at around 7:30 a.m.

Members of the clergy organized a communion that took place at 8:30 a.m. and included breaking bread and singing alongside protestors. Some members of the clergy asked Illinois State Police if they could offer communion to the detainees inside the ICE facility. They were denied. 

Lucas Hergert Northshore, senior pastor at the Unitarian Church in Deerfield, who helped offer communion, said, “Our attempt here today was to bring communion to the detainees, because we believe that they are a part of the same religious family that we are. They’re children of God, just like we are, and we should be let in, in order to offer those services to them.”

He said that the clergy being denied entry made him feel sick. 

“A couple of days ago, I was driving, and I just had to pull over. I burst into tears. I have families that I know who are being affected by this, and they’re just so terrified right now,” he said. 

Seen later in the day outside the Broadview facility were Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin.

“This is totally unnecessary,” said Durbin of ICE and the National Guards deployment to Chicago. “The diversion of so many resources in law enforcement to Broadview, Illinois is an illustration of resources that should be spent in the community to make it safer. I’ll work with any administration to reduce crime, but I certainly won’t abide by this approach of mass deportation.”

Duckworth said, “Their exploitation of our law enforcement and our streets is not what America is about…we’re going to push as hard as we can in the Senate.” 

She urged the protestors to remain peaceful, as well as exercise their First Amendment rights and express their opinions.

Duckworth said that she and Durbin tried to enter the ICE facility, but were not let in. Durbin said he had been in once before, but Duckworth had never entered the facility. 

There were larger gatherings of protesters on Saturday.