Overview
- An interfaith group seeking to offer prayer and Christmas communion was turned away and held a service outside the Broadview facility.
- DHS stated religious services are not provided in field offices because people are processed and transferred rather than held for detention.
- The department cited repeated attacks and safety threats at the site as the reason it cannot accommodate clergy visits.
- Faith leaders said access had been permitted until the fall, while critics contend some people spend multiple nights in holding cells.
- Illinois lawmakers who toured the site earlier in the week reported only two detainees present, noting past peaks near 140 and cautioning that numbers could increase.