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Residents and protesters urge Broadview to rescind protest curfew; mayor defends order and calls to close ICE facility
Summary
At a Broadview Village Board meeting, multiple residents and protesters criticized two executive orders limiting protest hours and placement near the Broadview ICE facility and urged their rescission; Mayor Katrina Thompson defended the orders as necessary for public safety while reiterating a goal to close the facility.
At a Village of Broadview Board meeting, a string of residents and protesters urged Mayor Katrina Thompson and trustees to rescind two executive orders that restrict protest hours and set distances for demonstrations near the Broadview ICE facility.
Community speakers across several minutes accused federal and state officers of excessive force and described arrests, pepper-balling and the use of projectiles. "We have been tackled, beat, dragged, and arrested by our county and state police," said Michelle Narvaez, who identified herself as a protest supporter; she asked the village to "extend the protest time" and reduce the distance between the protest zone on Beach Street and the ICE facility. Amanda Tovar said she filmed an incident in which a pastor was struck by a rubber projectile and said she filed a police report documenting injuries.
Cook County President Tony Preckwinkle, introduced earlier in the meeting, told the board the county stood with Broadview and said he had signed an executive order that "prohibits the use of county owned property, resources, and personnel for civil immigration enforcement," adding, "ICE will not be allowed to use our spaces or our people to carry out raids or intimidate residents." Protesters cited the county stance as support for calls to limit federal enforcement in the village.
Mayor Katrina Thompson responded to public comments by acknowledging review of videos and photos from protest sites and said she "believes in democracy, and I believe in protesting, but I also believe in the safety of my community." On the future of the facility, the mayor said, "The goal is to see the ICE facility closed, not relocated, not expanded, but closed." She also told the audience her executive order would remain in place, saying the restrictions are necessary for safety and that she is asking for respect during the meeting.
Speakers at the meeting described operational concerns that the curfew and barricading have made it harder to document activity at the facility and have forced protesters farther from the site. Ian Parry, who identified himself as a protester, urged both sides to find common ground and to clarify protest rules to reduce repeated confrontations with the Illinois State Police.
The board did not vote on the executive orders at the meeting. Trustees and the mayor invited continued dialogue; the mayor reiterated local relief efforts and community drives taking place this week.
The meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
