A deadline looms Tuesday for the removal of a fence surrounding the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in west suburban Broadview.
A judge ordered that the riot fence must come down by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday. But new barriers went up on Monday, and they are drawing criticism too.
The fence was erected Sept. 23 outside the ICE facility on Beach Street in Broadview. For weeks, it has been a symbol of tension between federal authorities, protesters, and the Village of Broadview itself.
Last month, hours after the fencing went up at the facility, a letter went out from the Broadview Fire Department to Homeland Security saying, in part, it was “built, without a permit, a fence on a public street under the jurisdiction of the village of Broadview … currently blocking Broadview Fire Department access to that road.”
Some who live in the area say they fence has limited access and visibility for families who are trying to reach loved ones inside. Others say it is just one more obstacle in an already disruptive situation.
James Baker lives nearby on South 25th Avenue, and said it has been almost impossible getting in and out of his home in the last few weeks.
“I feel like I’m in prison myself,” Baker said.
He said he and his son had to carry their groceries an unusually long distance back home four days ago because of the fence.
On Monday, Illinois Department of Transportation crews installed new concrete barriers outside facility, adding another layer to what many already call a “fortress.”
Mayor Thompson said the barriers are meant to keep protesters safe and protect residents when demonstrations spill into the street.
Also Monday, Mayor Thompson shrank the zone where protesters are allowed to gather outside the ICE facility. She said she decided on the restriction after protests outside the facility on Saturday night “degenerated into chaos.”
Thompson wrote that some of the protesters have been making life difficult for Broadview residents.
“There are too many protesters are raising their fists rather than their voices, creating chaos at the expense of the people who call Broadview home,” she wrote. “Broadview residents lack the protestors’ privilege to return to calm, quiet neighborhoods for undisturbed rest.”
For that reason, Thompson said she signed a new executive order in consultation with the Illinois State Police and the Cook County Sheriff’s office, which will permit protests only in the safety zone at the ICE facility on Beach Street. Protests will no longer be allowed at 2000 S. 25th Ave. between Lexington and Fillmore streets, Thompson wrote.
Activists plan to obtain a cease-and-desist against Mayor Thompson later Tuesday, accusing the village of unconstitutional protest restrictions and police abuse.