About 24 demonstrators were arrested outside a federal detention center in Broadview this morning shortly after the demonstrators sat down in front of a van and stopped the van of deportees headed to O’Hare International Airport for a flight out of the country. The federal detention center is part of the US Immigration/Naturalization facility, 1930 Beach Street in
Broadview, IL.
Police officers from Broadview, Maywood and Westchester arrested the demonstrators as a crowd of supporters cheered and chanted “no deportations today.”
Earlier, about two dozen demonstrators sat in the street near the detention center and chanted “Illinois is not Arizona.” A NIPAS mutual aid police response was activated this morning, and several police agencies were seen rushing southbound on Route 53 toward Broadview, but the alert was canceled about 8:30 a.m. as local police had the situation and arrests under control.
Each demonstrator urged Congress and the Obama administration to deal with immigration reforms. Tension is escalated among the immigrants regarding a law passed in Arizona that allows local police to ask for proof of legal residence. About 100 people camped overnight outside the center. Opponents of the Arizona law are urging President Obama to sign an executive order overturning it. Chicago Alderman Roberto Maldonado warned President Barack Obama could lose the Latino vote if he doesn’t provide greater support for immigration reform.
Another protest is scheduled to occur Thursday at Wrigley Field when the Cubs play the Arizona Diamondbacks.