The police chief in Broadview, a suburb of Chicago, is threatening to dismantle protective fencing amid ongoing protests outside an ICE facility.
Officials in Broadview, including Police Chief Thomas Mills, have criticized the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), claiming it is the agency, rather than the turbulent protesters, that is endangering residents of nearby areas.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Mayor Katrina Thompson, Chief Mills, and Deputy Fire Chief Matt Martin expressed their concerns regarding the federal law enforcement activities at the Broadview facility.
“The brutal use of tear gas, pepper spray, and other chemical agents at ICE sites is harmful to both residents and police officers in nearby communities, jeopardizing the First Amendment rights of American citizens,” Mayor Thompson remarked.
Chief Mills also expressed frustration over the conduct of ICE agents, suggesting they have been confrontational with Broadview police. He accused them of unlawfully erecting fences around federal facilities and threatened to remove it using “heavy equipment.”
“We are facing an immediate public safety crisis,” the chief warned. “The use of tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets near the processing center puts the community at risk.”
Mayor Thompson stated, “This is not Putin’s Russia. This is America.”
The city has initiated a “crime” investigation into ICE’s actions. Instead of addressing the increasingly aggressive actions of the protesters surrounding the facility, Mills has suggested that ICE officers have engaged in inappropriate behavior, allegedly causing property damage to the protesters.
Meanwhile, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has publicly encouraged protesters to continue obstructing federal agents’ actions.
In the midst of this unrest, ICE and federal law enforcement officials announced that over 800 dangerous criminals have been removed from the streets of Chicago since the start of Operation Midway Blitz.
