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In BROADVIEW, Ill. (WLS) — Demonstrators stayed around the ICE’s Broadview processing center throughout Sunday, though their numbers have significantly dwindled.
In Chicago’s Rogers Park area, an incident involving ICE outside a church caused a day filled with anxiety for churchgoers, prompting a large response from local residents intent on ensuring the safety of those attending the service.
In addition, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker expressed strong criticism on Sunday regarding the Trump administration’s persistent immigration enforcement activities in the Chicago region.
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Around 8:30 a.m., a resident named Julie glanced out her window in Rogers Park to find Border Patrol agents questioning a man directly in front of St. Jerome Catholic Church.
“I believe they’ve been observing the church… they know the mass schedule,” Julie remarked. “There was someone taken away recently. They’re in this area for a particular reason.”
With a Spanish-language service taking place at the time, Julie and her partner informed the priest, along with several other locals, who took action to ensure attendees could exit the church without incident.
“I felt really badly for them,” Julie said. “They were inside, scared to come out. I can understand why.”
She and others were back again for Sunday evening’s bilingual mass.
“The goal here is not to create any conflict, but actually to create a safe space,” volunteer Angie Guinn said.
Parishioners said they’re unnerved, and not just because of what happened Sunday.
“Right now, nobody wants to come out, because they don’t want to be deported,” parishioner Jorge Quiroz said.
The Archdiocese of Chicago did not comment on the incident, but on CNN, Cardinal Blase Cupich spoke on the ongoing raids.
“Yes, we surely have the need for a state to provide safety for people and also secure its borders, but let’s not forget that human dignity also has to be preserved,” Cupich said. “Many of these people who don’t have documents have been here for a long time and contributing to society.”
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Meanwhile on ABC’s ‘This Week,’ Governor Pritzker addressed the courts’ decision this week to stay the administration’s attempt to deploy National Guard troops across the area, even while an appellate court ruled those already here were allowed to stay in Illinois while the appeals process plays out.
“Look, we’ve gotta rely on the courts to do the right thing,” Pritzker said. “I realize that sometimes that’s risky business, especially when some have been appointed by Donald Trump. But we’ve seen that even a Trump-appointed judge out in California has ruled against the administration.”
Vice President JD Vance hit back at Pritzker, also on ‘This Week.’
“We’re trying to help him and we’re trying to help the residents of his biggest city,” Vance said. “I wish that he would let us, because he certainly isn’t doing the job himself.”
In Broadview, the fence cutting off Beach Street where the ICE facility begins was still up Sunday, but not for much longer. A judge ruled it must come down by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.
READ MORE | Broadview protest arrests, dropped charges influenced ruling to bar National Guard deployments
