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Judge Issues Emergency Order Over 'Unconstitutional' Conditions at Chicago-Area ICE Site

A separate hearing now weighs longer-term limits on federal agents’ crowd-control tactics, with video and deposition evidence before the judge.

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman granted a temporary restraining order requiring sufficient food, water and bed space at ICE’s Broadview facility, finding detainees face irreparable harm under current conditions.
  • Testimony described extreme overcrowding, overflowing toilets, scant meals and restricted attorney contact; the judge said the site has "become a prison" despite holding civil detainees.
  • Homeland Security and DOJ dispute systemic abuses, asserting detainees receive meals, water, phone access and medical care, and warn that new mandates could hinder enforcement operations.
  • The parallel case before Judge Sara Ellis featured body-camera footage and portions of Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino’s deposition, with plaintiffs alleging excessive force and contradictions in his accounts of using tear gas.
  • Witnesses testified that agents fired pepper balls at a pastor in Broadview and pointed guns during recorded encounters, as Ellis considers converting her earlier restrictions into a preliminary injunction or extending her order; a ruling is expected within 14 days.