Noem visits Chicago-area ICE facility as agents detain multiple protesters outside

Some protesters have aimed to block vehicles from going in or out of the area around the ICE processing facility in Broadview in recent weeks.

BROADVIEW, Ill. — Federal agents detained multiple people Friday near an immigration facility outside Chicago that has frequently been targeted by protesters during the Trump administration’s surge of immigration enforcement this fall.

As Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem met with employees inside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in Broadview, a crowd grew over several hours, some riled by newly installed barricades to separate them from law enforcement officers stationed outside. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the protests and any detentions at the scene.

Noem, whose visit to Chicago was confirmed by Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, also accompanied agents Friday on a raid near a local Walmart store, according to conservative media personality Benny Johnson. DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Noem’s visit to the area.

Federal agents detained multiple people Friday near an immigration facility outside Chicago.Octavio Jones / AFP - Getty ImagesSome protesters have aimed to block vehicles from going in or out of the area in recent weeks, part of growing pushback to a surge of immigration enforcement that began in early September. Federal agents have repeatedly fired tear gas, pepper balls and other projectiles toward crowds in response, and at least five protesters have faced federal charges after being arrested in those clashes.

Local law enforcement stepped up its own presence Friday at the facility about 12 miles west of Chicago. Several streets around the site were closed, patrolled by Illinois State Police officers wearing riot helmets and holding batons on patrol. The state police set up concrete barriers Thursday night to segregate protesters and designate spaces to demonstrate.