Separate protesters from Broadview ICE facility NOW -- before somebody is killed
A ticking bomb that Illinois's political establishment is content to see explode.
The situation at the Broadview, Illinois ICE facility is extraordinarily dangerous and utterly inexcusable. The easy, obvious solution — moving the protesters a short distance away — should be implemented immediately.
Protesters, routinely including lawbreakers who violently interfere with ICE agents and its vehicles, are now almost perpetually in place smack up against the only entrance to the ICE location, often deliberately blocking ICE vehicles. The building is at the end of a dead end street in a warehouse and industrial section of Broadview.
The violent and provocative protesters are fully documented in video, and protests are growing more heated. See, for example, reports here and here. Other video shows a large crowd of protesters shouting “Shoot Ice.”
The Department of Homeland Security released images of at least two handguns and a potential explosive device seized from anti-ICE rioters. A Newsweek story is here.
It would take just one protester with a handgun to set off what could easily become a lethal gun fight.
Do the imperative fast: Move the protesters to a location away from the ICE facility. There’s no free speech or First Amendment obstacle whatsoever. During the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, that kind of separation was done on a large scale, successfully. Protesters had their place but convention attendees were kept safe.
But for Illinois’ political establishment, it’s apparently different a when the targets are ICE agents enforcing the law — immigration law that was duly enacted long before there was a President Trump.
Officials responsible for the tinderbox range from the Village of Broadview up to Gov. JB Pritzker.
The village and its mayor, Katrina Thompson, appear to be dead set on assuring that violence continues. The village released a statement Saturday cheering the protesters. “ICE is seeking to intimidate the Village of Broadview because we dared exercise our 1st Amendment constitutional rights calling for an end to their war on Broadview,” says Thompson in the statement. “We will not be intimidated. We are Broadview strong.”
Astonishingly, the village has even demanded that ICE remove the fence and gating protecting the ICE building. Imagine what would result.
Pritzker has been little better. Aside from token words rejecting violence, he has made no effort to defuse the ticking bomb, instead wrapping himself in a flag of free speech and the usual about Trump. From Pritzker’s statement issued Saturday:
“The State of Illinois is closely monitoring the federal deployments in the Village of Broadview. Public safety is always my top priority…. “Whether it be in Broadview here in Illinois or in Portland, Oregon, the Trump Administration is intentionally creating chaos to threaten sending military troops to American cities and suburbs…. Illinois will always defend Americans’ right to peacefully protest and make their voices heard. We denounce any violence against the general public, members of the media, and law enforcement or first responders. Even when the Trump Administration does not follow the law, we will. I urge members of the public to remain calm, stay safe, and document what you see with your phones and cameras…. By observing and recording peacefully, we can ensure that any violations of the law are brought to light and those responsible are held accountable.
Blah, blah, blah.
I was at the facility Wednesday. Though it was a relatively quiet day for protesters, some of them clearly appeared to me to be mentally ill and dangerous. One tried to physically interrupt a press conference held there that day.
Move the protesters immediately.
This column was updated to include Sunday’s release by the Department of Homeland Security that some protesters are now carrying guns and that guns and a potential explosive device were seized.
You did not address the real problem. About half of Americans support Trump’s deportation policy. It means that the other half will, passively or actively, try to stop it. So, it is not about illegal immigrants, it is about actions that about half of the nation considers illegal, inhumane, and un-American. As you might guess, I wrote about it: https://henrykkowalczyk.com/i-did-not-speak-out-because-i-was-not-an-illegal-immigrant/.