Overview
- Faith leaders, including an auxiliary bishop and Sister JoAnn Persch, were refused entry on Nov. 1 after an All Saints Day Mass outside the Broadview ICE center.
- The Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership says it filed requests more than a week in advance, and Broadview’s mayor also sent a letter seeking access on Oct. 22.
- DHS said any facility visit requires approval by Secretary Kristi Noem and defended a one-week notice rule, without explaining why the latest request was denied.
- Demonstrators gathered outside the site, with organizers estimating roughly 2,000 attendees, as state troopers and federal agents maintained a visible presence and used pepper projectiles near protesters.
- A separate lawsuit by immigrants’ rights lawyers alleges overcrowding, poor sanitation, inadequate medical care, and restricted legal access inside the facility.