Overview
- U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman held a full-day hearing Tuesday on a request for a temporary restraining order governing conditions at the Chicago-area facility.
- Detainees testified to severe overcrowding — about 150 people in a cell — no beds, overflowing toilets, unsafe-tasting water and scant hygiene supplies.
- Plaintiffs seek court-ordered minimum standards and confidential attorney access, alleging some people were pressured to sign English-language forms they did not understand.
- Government attorneys denied systemic mistreatment, said operations have improved, outlined meals, bottled water, foil blankets, phones and daily cleaning, and asked for more time to verify claims.
- The government warned that closing or restricting the site could hinder immigration enforcement in Illinois as the judge considers remedies such as population limits and baseline conditions.