The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shared photos of firearms taken from anti-ICE protesters in Chicago recently. This investigation appears to have started after the discovery of an explosive device near the ICE facility in Chicago. While specific charges against the protesters weren’t detailed, DHS mentioned that they arrested eleven individuals during the chaos that unfolded outside the detention center.
According to DHS, “These two guns were found directly near our ICE facility.” The statement also revealed that authorities are looking into the explosive device situation. Just days before this event, there was a shooting incident at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas, leaving one detainee dead and injuring two others.
On-site, there were about fifty protesters present at the Broadview, Illinois, ICE processing center. An ICE spokesperson confirmed that two individuals were arrested, one of whom had a firearm. Footage surfaced showing federal agents attempting to clear the area, while demonstrators tried to block their vehicles.
Prior to this, sixteen people had been arrested during a separate, violent encounter between protesters and ICE officials. According to DHS, the protests have included actions such as throwing tear gas and rocks, damaging cars, and blocking access to buildings, all of which have posed risks to law enforcement personnel.
The facility involved is currently serving as a key processing center for a major immigration enforcement initiative named Midway Blitz, which targets Illinois specifically.
