A U.S. judge ruled Friday that a security fence built around the immigration center in Broadview, near Chicago, the epicenter of protests against raids and deportations for several weeks, violates the right of this suburb to access its own land, and ordered its demolition.
In her ruling, U.S. District Judge LaShonda Hunt stated that from the federal government’s own arguments, it was clear that “there is no plan to tear down the fence and that ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ (immigration) has no end in sight.”
Fence ordered removed at Chicago immigration center
A federal judge has stated that ICE needs to take down their fence in Broadview Illinois pic.twitter.com/W18Wgt7lAg
– MAGA Cult Slayer🦅🇺🇸 (@MAGACult2) October 10, 2025
The 2.4-meter-high metal fence was built around the temporary detention center on Beach Street, where daily protests and clashes are recorded with federal agents who used tear gas and other weapons against the crowd.
The judge noted that the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Todd Lyons, wrote in a letter to the community that the agency has a problem with “unlawful assemblies” of protesters and that “there will be no change in our operational posture” until the demonstrations cease.
“In other words, [the defendants’] current operations are indefinite and the protests, which Acting Director Lyons apparently believes fall into the category of ‘illegal activities,’ will undoubtedly continue,” the judge wrote.
The fence must be removed immediately, the judge ordered.
Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson, who had filed the lawsuit, stated that the ruling represented “a decisive victory for public safety.”
“The illegal fence constructed by ICE is not only in clear defiance of Broadview’s ordinance, but also an unacceptable and growing risk to our Beach Street businesses, their customers and our emergency personnel,” Thompson said.
According to the Broadview Mayor’s Office, the fence was erected “in the middle of the night without warning,” and not only physically deprives the village of its right to control its own land, but also constitutes a safety hazard.
For government attorneys, there was “no choice” but to install the fence, as protesters gathered day after day and harassed law enforcement outside the center, inciting violence and puncturing the tires of ICE vehicles entering and leaving the parking lot.
ICE did not respond to requests for comment.
The illegal fence constructed by ICE is not only in clear defiance of Broadview's ordinance, but also an unacceptable and growing risk to our Beach Street businesses, their customers and our emergency personnel
Katrina Thompson
With information from EFE
