CONTACT:
Gwen Pepin
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Chicago, IL — Today, U.S. Representative Jesus “Chúy” Garcia (IL-04) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin led a unified Illinois Democratic Congressional Delegation in a call for the Trump administration to end unlawful attacks on Illinois’ state and local immigration policies. In a letter to federal officials – including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem – the delegation affirmed that these policies are not only fully constitutional, but also help local law enforcement—by allowing departments to focus on community needs and build trust between officers and the families they serve. The Democratic Party of Illinois released the following statement:
Illinois Democrats are once again showing what courageous leadership against the Trump administration looks like by defending the rights and safety of their communities, which includes immigrant families. Meanwhile, Republicans, supposedly the party of limited government, repeatedly chose complicity over accountability, — or worse, they cheer on Trump-led attacks that undermine Illinoisans’ safety.
This action follows a series of escalating attacks by the Trump administration, including efforts to undermine the Illinois Trust Act, the denial of access for legislators to enter ICE facilities, and the dehumanizing conditions revealed in an ICE-operated facility in Illinois. In response, Illinois joined a federal lawsuit to secure the right to inspect ICE facilities and hold them accountable.
Key excerpts from the Chicago Tribune: ‘Dehumanizing’: Inside the Broadview ICE facility where immigrants sleep on cold concrete
By Laura Rodriguez Presa and Joe Mahr
- The west suburban processing center is designed to hold people for no more than 12 hours before transferring them to a formal immigration detention facility. It has no beds, let alone any covers, Chavez said. They were not offered showers or hot food. No toothbrushes or feminine products. And certainly, Chavez recalled, those detained had no answers from immigration authorities about what would happen next.
- For busier periods in June, data shows the typical detainee was held two or three days — far longer than the five or so hours typical in years past.
- The findings, which come from a Tribune analysis of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data obtained and shared by the research group Deportation Data Project, show that the federal agency has routinely violated ICE’s internal guidelines, which say the facility shouldn’t hold people for more than 12 hours.
- She [Chavez] said she still feels traumatized by a system that separated her from her children and grandchildren while causing emotional and physical pain.
- When the members of Congress attempted to visit the site in June, Rep. Delia Ramirez noted, in a speech on the House floor, that ICE had posted a sign saying that the agency only “processes” arrestees there and “does not house aliens at these locations.” Yet, ICE’s own data would suggest otherwise.
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