Overview
- After a full day of testimony on Nov. 4, U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman described accounts from the Broadview facility as “disgusting” and “unconstitutional” and took the request for a temporary restraining order under advisement.
- Detainees told the court they were packed into cells with roughly 150 people, slept on floors or plastic chairs near overflowing toilets, received limited water and food, and lacked working showers or basic hygiene items.
- Plaintiffs from the ACLU of Illinois and the MacArthur Justice Center seek emergency relief setting minimum space, bedding, hygiene, shower and toilet standards, plus confidential access to attorneys and a potential reduction in the facility’s population.
- Homeland Security and Justice Department lawyers disputed systemic wrongdoing, saying Broadview provides three daily meals, water, phone access and medical care, and emphasized that it is not designed for long‑term detention.
- Gettleman previously ordered lead plaintiffs returned to the district to testify, protests continue outside the site, and a separate lawsuit challenges law enforcement tactics used against demonstrators.