THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SAID MORE THAN 200 PROTESTERS BLOCKED A GATE AT THE BROADVIEW, ILLINOIS U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE) FACILITY. ANOTHER 30 PEOPLE WENT TO A DIFFERENT GATE AND WERE ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO ILLEGALLY ENTER FEDERAL PROPERTY. FEDERAL AGENTS USED TEAR GAS AND PEPPER BALLS ON THE PROTESTERSAMID ONGOING CLASHES RELATED […]
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THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SAID MORE THAN 200 PROTESTERS BLOCKED A GATE AT THE BROADVIEW, ILLINOIS U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE) FACILITY. ANOTHER 30 PEOPLE WENT TO A DIFFERENT GATE AND WERE ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO ILLEGALLY ENTER FEDERAL PROPERTY.
FEDERAL AGENTS USED TEAR GAS AND PEPPER BALLS ON THE PROTESTERS
AMID ONGOING CLASHES RELATED TO INCREASED IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, SEVERAL NEWS OUTLETS REPORTED. ONE FEDERAL AGENT WAS SEEN FIRING FROM A NEARBY ROOFTOP.
THE CONFRONTATION COMES JUST TWO DAYS AFTER A GUNMAN SHOT AND KILLED A DETAINEE AND INJURED TWO OTHERS AT AN ICE FACILITY IN DALLAS.
“JUST DAYS AFTER THE VILE TERRORIST ATTACK ON AN ICE DALLAS FACILITY, OVER 200 RIOTERS GATHERED OUTSIDE THE BROADVIEW PROCESSING CENTER IN ILLINOIS, AND SOME BEGAN CHANTING ‘SHOOT ICE.’ THESE VIOLENT THREATS AND SMEARS ABOUT ICE MUST STOP. THERE IS NO PLACE IN AMERICAN POLITICS FOR VIOLENCE,”
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ASSISTANT SECRETARY TRICIA MCLAUGHLIN SAID IN A STATEMENT.
ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, A FEW PROTESTERS TRIED TO BLOCK A CAR HEADING TOWARD THE ICE BUILDING. THIS PROMPTED FEDERAL AGENTS TO FIRE TEAR GAS AND PEPPER BULLETS MULTIPLE TIMES AT A CROWD OF OVER 100 PROTESTERS, HITTING PEOPLE WHO WERE STANDING BACK AND REPORTEDLY NOT INVOLVED IN BLOCKING TRAFFIC. THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES REPORTS ONE OF ITS PHOTOGRAPHERS WAS HIT BY RUBBER PELLETS.
ONE PROTESTOR WHO IS ALSO AN ELECTED MEMBER OF THE SKOKIE BOARD OF EDUCATION SAID THE CHEMICAL AGENTS CAUGHT HER AND OTHERS OFF GUARD.
[BUSHRA AMIWALA, 27, PROTESTER]
“THIS TRULY CAUGHT US SO INCREDIBLY OFF GUARD. WE LITERALLY WERE JUST TYING NOTES ON THE WALL, AND FOR A MINUTE, I WAS OBVIOUSLY COUGHING. IT WAS VERY HARD TO BREATHE. I WAS DISORIENTED FOR A SECOND. I JUST DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED, FULLY UNPROVOKED.”
AS AGENTS FIRED, PROTESTERS EITHER FLED OR FELL TO THE GROUND; MOST DISPERSED. SOME RINSED TEAR GAS FROM THEIR EYES OUTSIDE THE FACILITY, THE AP REPORTS.
BROADVIEW MAYOR KATRINA THOMPSON WROTE A LETTER TO RUSSELL HOTT, THE ICE FIELD OFFICE DIRECTOR, ON FRIDAY, CALLING FOR RELIEF FROM ICE’S “SIEGE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.”
“IN EFFECT, YOU ARE MAKING WAR ON MY COMMUNITY,” SHE WROTE, AS REPORTED BY WTTW. “AND IT HAS TO STOP.”
THE AP REPORTS THAT IN RECENT WEEKS, PROTESTERS HAVE TRIED TO STOP AGENTS’ VEHICLES FROM ENTERING OR LEAVING AN AREA NEXT TO THE BUILDING. ON TUESDAY, THAT FENCE WAS PUT UP, KEEPING PROTESTERS FARTHER AWAY FROM THE FACILITY.
THOMPSON DEMANDED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKE DOWN THE “ILLEGAL” FENCE.
FOR SAN, I’M LAUREN KEENAN.
