CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge is expected to hear arguments Tuesday after Illinois groups sued federal authorities last week for what they described as “inhumane” conditions at a Chicago-area immigration facility.
U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman has called for a hearing, noting the urgency of the case. During an emergency hearing last Friday, he stated that the situation warranted immediate attention.
Attorneys representing the federal government requested additional time to prepare, while the plaintiffs’ lawyers labeled the conditions in the Broadview facility a “human rights emergency.”
Human rights advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and the MacArthur Justice Center, allege that detainees at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview were denied crucial access to food, water, and medical care. They also claim that detainees were not allowed private calls with attorneys, leading to situations where individuals were coerced into signing forms without understanding, compromising their legal rights and exposing them to potential deportation.
In contrast, officials from the Department of Homeland Security have denied the allegations, stating that claims of inhumane conditions have led to increased death threats against immigration officers.
Judge Gettleman subsequently ordered the lead plaintiffs in the case, Pablo Moreno Gonzalez and Felipe Agustin Zamacona—Mexican immigrants who’ve resided in the U.S. for over 30 years and were detained at Broadview facility in October—to be returned to the Chicago area swiftly ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, as their whereabouts shifted shortly before the hearing.
Concerns regarding the Broadview facility have been ongoing for months, with advocates, family members, and members of Congress raising alarms about the treatment of detainees, claiming that the facility effectively operates as a detention center holding up to 200 individuals without access to legal counsel.
The facility has been a focal point of protests, leading to arrests of demonstrators, and has sparked a separate lawsuit from news outlets and advocates alleging that federal agents breached First Amendment rights by deploying tear gas and other tactics against peaceful protesters.
U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman has called for a hearing, noting the urgency of the case. During an emergency hearing last Friday, he stated that the situation warranted immediate attention.
Attorneys representing the federal government requested additional time to prepare, while the plaintiffs’ lawyers labeled the conditions in the Broadview facility a “human rights emergency.”
Human rights advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and the MacArthur Justice Center, allege that detainees at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview were denied crucial access to food, water, and medical care. They also claim that detainees were not allowed private calls with attorneys, leading to situations where individuals were coerced into signing forms without understanding, compromising their legal rights and exposing them to potential deportation.
In contrast, officials from the Department of Homeland Security have denied the allegations, stating that claims of inhumane conditions have led to increased death threats against immigration officers.
Judge Gettleman subsequently ordered the lead plaintiffs in the case, Pablo Moreno Gonzalez and Felipe Agustin Zamacona—Mexican immigrants who’ve resided in the U.S. for over 30 years and were detained at Broadview facility in October—to be returned to the Chicago area swiftly ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, as their whereabouts shifted shortly before the hearing.
Concerns regarding the Broadview facility have been ongoing for months, with advocates, family members, and members of Congress raising alarms about the treatment of detainees, claiming that the facility effectively operates as a detention center holding up to 200 individuals without access to legal counsel.
The facility has been a focal point of protests, leading to arrests of demonstrators, and has sparked a separate lawsuit from news outlets and advocates alleging that federal agents breached First Amendment rights by deploying tear gas and other tactics against peaceful protesters.
