Summary
A group of religious leaders tried to enter an ICE facility in Chicago on Christmas Eve but were not allowed in. They wanted to offer prayers and care to the detainees, but ICE staff said it was not possible due to safety reasons.
Key Facts
- Religious leaders attempted to enter the ICE facility in Chicago to pray with detainees on Christmas Eve.
- They said their goal was to provide "pastoral care" to both staff and detainees.
- ICE facility officials denied entry, citing the building's status as a field office, not a detention center.
- The facility is used for processing detainees who are then moved to other detention centers.
- DHS stated that recent protests and attacks have made the location unsafe for accommodating outside services.
- Priests and nuns had been allowed to enter the facility until a policy change in the fall.
- ICE emphasized safety concerns due to past riots at the Broadview field office.
