Federal agents sprayed mace on 10 protesters gathered outside the Broadview ICE facility on Saturday afternoon, leaving two people hospitalized after Broadview Fire EMS responded to the scene at 1930 Beach St. The confrontation unfolded around 2:30 p.m. as demonstrators once again gathered outside the processing center that has become a flashpoint for immigration protests over the past year.
According to NBC Chicago, none of the maced protesters were Broadview residents. Two of the ten were taken to a local hospital, while the remaining eight who were sprayed refused transportation for medical care. Broadview Fire EMS provided medical attention to the protesters at the scene before the two were transported.
David Ormsby, a village spokesperson, told the station that protesters were staging in the street and blocking ICE agents from entering or exiting the property, and that a confrontation with agents followed from that staging and blocking. The account attributes the sequence of events specifically to Ormsby, and the report does not independently establish what justification, if any, federal agents gave for using mace during Saturday's encounter.
A Site With a Long History of Clashes
Saturday's incident follows an earlier confrontation at the Beach Street facility, which serves as a processing center for people arrested by ICE before they're moved to detention centers elsewhere in the country, according to Block Club Chicago. On the same date in 2025, agents used tear gas and detained demonstrators as the crowd reached roughly 150 by evening, per that outlet's reporting.
That earlier protest also saw riot-control spray deployed at least twice, with protesters experiencing difficulty breathing, the same day's coverage from NBC Chicago noted.
Protests Intensified After Federal Crackdown Announcement
The pattern of clashes at Broadview escalated after the Trump administration announced the launch of Operation Midway Blitz on Sept. 8, 2025, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
WBEZ reported that Broadview had spent $361,536 responding to activity around the ICE facility through mid-January, covering police and fire overtime along with protective equipment.
Similar Confrontations Beyond Illinois
Broadview is not the only ICE facility where protests have turned physical this year. In Newark, New Jersey, protests outside the Delaney Hall facility also turned physical. The confrontation involved pepper spray during a detainee transfer, while state police used batons.
A federal judge has separately ruled in a case involving Broadview protesters, according to Patch.
