Immigrants detained at the Broadview ICE facility outside Chicago are sleeping on cold concrete floors with no blankets, no beds, and the lights on 24/7. They are denied showers. Some wear the same clothes for days. Others report being shackled for hours, or left without food while they wait for buses in the middle of the night.

This isn’t an old story — it’s happening right now, just 15 miles from downtown Chicago.

The Tribune’s investigation revealed a facility that doesn’t meet even the most basic standards of human care. One detainee said she felt “like a piece of trash.” Others compared the conditions to jail — or worse. Federal guidelines recommend that no one be held longer than 12 hours in a transfer facility like Broadview, but many people — including asylum seekers and longtime residents — are detained much longer, without proper rest, nutrition, or medical care.

Broadview is not a hidden detention center at the border. It’s right here in our own backyard. It’s funded by our tax dollars. And it’s happening under the watch of Illinois and Chicago-area officials who have promised to stand up for immigrant communities.

We demand immediate oversight and action. That includes unannounced inspections, a full public review of detention conditions, and urgent intervention to ensure all detainees are treated with basic dignity and care. No one — no matter their immigration status — should be held in conditions this inhumane.

If you believe Broadview must not be a place where people are dehumanized behind closed doors, sign your name. Speak out for those who can’t speak for themselves — and call for real accountability now.

[Photo Credit: Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression]