Confrontations between ICE, protesters grow more heated in Broadview, Illinois
Intense confrontations continued this weekend between federal agents and protesters outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in Broadview, Illinois.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Gregory Bovino was on the scene in Broadview beginning Saturday morning, and he seems to have stayed through the evening.
Bovino was seen driving by the Broadview ICE facility in a caravan first thing Saturday morning. He was being filmed by ICE agents around him.
He was seen returning Saturday night, leading federal agents in front of the building in Broadview. That was really when the most intense moments unfolded, as clouds of tear gas filled the air.
Several journalists, including CBS News Chicago's teams, were caught up in the chaos.
Several people were detained as agents and protesters clashed when the gates opened, and demonstrators would attempt to block the road.
Bovino was the top Border Patrol agent in California's El Centro sector until he was given command of a broader immigration enforcement campaign across the state in June.
Over the past several months, Bovino has become one of the most visible public faces of the Trump administration's aggressive effort to detain those living in the country unlawfully. He has accompanied rank-and-file agents on arrest operations and posted slickly edited videos of those sweeps on social media.
Saturday was the first time Bovino was seen in action in Chicago. He posted a video to X showing multiple ICE detainments outside Home Depot stores and other areas in the city.
Back in Broadview, the village said its fire department was told agents would launch enforcement all day by deploying chemicals like tear gas and pepper spray against citizens, residents, and first responders.
"It's scary because they are already firing non-lethal rounds at us," said Bryan Brannon, who has been protesting outside the facility all week. "I worry that at some point they are going to get scared and start using lethal rounds or something."
The Village of Broadview issued a news release Saturday reading in part: "In retaliation for the Village of Broadview yesterday calling on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency to "stop making war on our community", ICE agents this morning informed the Broadview Police Department that there will be 'a s**t show' in Broadview today."
The village said the profanity was used in a verbal comment between Broadview police and ICE. When asked about the expletive, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it was made up.
"This is made up," Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "Our law enforcement enforces the rule of law. Period."
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker released a statement reacting to the federal deployment in Broadview, saying in part, "Illinois will always defend Americans' right to peacefully protest and make their voices heard. We denounce any violence against the general public, members of the media, and law enforcement or first responders."