“Inhumane” conditions at a Chicago-area ICE facility, advocates allege in a new lawsuit

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois lawyers filed a lawsuit against federal authorities Friday over allegedly “inhumane” conditions at a Chicago-area federal immigration facility.

Lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and the MacArthur Justice Center say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents prevented people detained at the Broadview facility from making private calls with lawyers, and barred members of Congress, religious leaders and journalists from entering the building, creating a “black box” they say allowed authorities to act “with impunity.”

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Agents also allegedly forced people detained at the processing center to sign paperwork they did not understand, causing them to unknowingly give up their rights and face deportation, according to the lawsuit.

Representatives of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Friday.

Community members are “snatched off the streets, placed in cells, deprived of food, medical care and basic necessities, and forced to sign waivers of their legal rights,” said Alexa Van Brandt, director of the MacArthur Center for Justice’s Illinois office and lead attorney on the lawsuit.

“Every person, regardless of their legal status, has the right to a lawyer and to be free from horrific and inhumane conditions,” she said.

Protesters hold signs outside the Broadview ICE facility, after President Donald Trump ordered an increased federal law enforcement presence to help prevent crime, in the Chicago suburb of Broadview, Illinois, on October 31, 2025. Photo by Leah Millis/Reuters

The lawyers accuse ICE, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection of violating detainees’ Fifth Amendment right to due process and First Amendment right to legal counsel, and asked the court to force the agencies to improve facility conditions.

Human rights advocates have for months raised concerns about conditions at the facility, which has drawn scrutiny from members of Congress, political candidates and activist groups. Lawyers and relatives of people detained at the facility have described it as a virtual detention center, where up to 200 people are detained at a time without access to legal counsel.

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The Department of Homeland Security has previously rejected the allegations, saying detainees at the facility receive adequate meals, medical treatment and access to family members and attorneys.

The Broadview Center also witnessed demonstrations that led to the arrest of several demonstrators. The protests are the focus of a separate lawsuit filed by a coalition of media outlets and protesters who claim federal agents violated their First Amendment rights by repeatedly using tear gas and other weapons on them.

U.S. District Judge Sarah Ellis sided with the coalition earlier this month, requiring federal agents in the Chicago area to wear badges and barring them from using some riot control techniques against peaceful protesters and journalists. Later, Ellis also ordered body cameras from agents who had them after she raised concerns that her initial order had not been followed.