Democratic lawmakers visit ICE facility in Broadview after court order granting access
Source: CBS News
Updated on: December 22, 2025 / 8:42 PM CST / CBS Chicago
Four Democratic members of Congress made a surprise visit to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in west suburban Broadview on Monday.
The ICE facility in Broadview is officially a processing center that critics have said operates more like a holding facility, with people detained by federal agents in the Chicago area spending multiple nights there. The ICE footprint in Broadview is expected to grow in the new year.
U.S. Reps. Chuy García, Danny Davis, Delia Ramirez, and Jonathan Jackson were allowed inside the Broadview facility on Monday, six months after being turned away. This time, they came armed with a federal judge's ruling that members of Congress must be granted access inside at any time without a prior appointment to provide oversight.
The lawmakers said their visit was unannounced, and what they found during their 40 minutes inside the building surprised them. "There were three Christmas trees in the front part," Jackson said. "I saw an autographed photo of [Homeland Security] Secretary Kristi Noem in there. That's political propaganda. You're not supposed to use these facilities for political stages and backdrops."
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/democratic-lawmakers-visit-broadview-ice-facility/