September 26, 2025, 6:00 PM
Again this Friday, September 26, 2025, federal agents continued escalating their violent attacks on speech at the now notorious ICE detention facility in suburban Broadview, IL. Agents lashed out with violence, targeting members of the press and people assembled to protest.
National Lawyers Guild of Chicago (NLG Chicago) has confirmed at least three more individuals have been arrested by federal agents today, bringing the total number of arrests at Broadview that NLG Chicago has been able to confirm to 16 in the last week, 12 of whom have been released.
NLG Chicago Legal Observers witnessed federal agents attacking gathered protesters, members of the press, and Legal Observers with tear gas, pepper balls, rubber bullets, sponge grenades, and flashbang grenades. Two Legal Observers were shot by rubber bullets, and one was injured when a flashbang grenade exploded near their face. The press was also a target of the agents’ indiscriminate violence and several reporters with clear press identification were shot in the head by pepper balls and rubber bullets. Additionally, on three separate occasions, ICE officers approached a gate at the facility, opened the gate, and without any warning or order to disperse, began firing rubber bullets and tear gas at demonstrators. Teargas and other weapons have impacted neighboring residents and businesses as reported to Legal Observers. Finally, there were three separate incidents where officers pulled out their firearms and pointed them at people who were complying with orders.
These violent actions by federal law enforcement endangered everyone who was present, including family members of immigrants detained inside the facility, demonstrators, Legal Observers, journalists, elected officials, and other people exercising their First Amendment rights.
Ben Meyer, a volunteer attorney with NLG Chicago said, “These extreme acts of violence against people non-violently exercising their rights to free speech and assembly and targeted attacks on members of the press are a full frontal assault on the First Amendment. This administration’s violent use of government power to suppress dissent embodies its authoritarian and xenophobic agenda.”
“NLG Chicago will continue to zealously defend the constitutional rights of people speaking out against and documenting the federal attack on our communities,” said Meyer.
