Ranking Member Underwood Shares Report from Oversight Visit to ICE’s Broadview Processing Center
BROADVIEW, IL—Today, Representative Lauren Underwood, Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, conducted an oversight visit to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Broadview Processing Center, one of the primary facilities used to hold Illinoisians during Operation Midway Blitz. Underwood’s visit marks the first time that a member of Congress has been granted access to the facility since Donald Trump took office, despite repeated requests that were previously denied by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The visit follows widespread community outrage at Operation Midway Blitz’s constitutional violations and ongoing questions about federal immigration enforcement practices across Illinois and the nation.
Underwood received a briefing from leadership of the Chicago Field Office and toured the entire facility, including intake rooms, holding spaces, and officer work areas. The visit occurred as dozens of constituents across her community continue to report being detained, confronted, or questioned by federal personnel. For weeks, the Illinois delegation received no timely responses to basic inquiries regarding the safety or location of constituents impacted by the operation.
“Families in our community are living with fear and confusion because of Operation Midway Blitz. They deserve answers about what is happening inside these facilities and what authority DHS is using,” said Underwood. “My visit confirmed serious concerns about conditions, staffing, recordkeeping, and transparency. I will continue pressing for accountability and immediate corrective action.”
During her visit, Underwood was informed that the Broadview Processing Center employs twenty-two staff, the same number as before the operation. The facility previously operated Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. but now runs seven days a week with significant overtime and plans for a third shift. She was informed that contracted officers at Broadview work for Paragon, which also supplies contracted personnel to the Federal Building in downtown Chicago and the ICE downtown Chicago processing center. Underwood was told that both sites are preparing for substantial expansion, including a potential reconfiguration of Broadview to accommodate temporary workspaces. Broadview Processing Center will reportedly be used as a training facility for newly hired Deportation Officers, due to the high volume of detainees.
Although Broadview is a processing center rather than a long-term detention site, the Trump Administration has used it to detain individuals for longer than DHS policy allows. Consistent with community and media reports, Underwood observed holding areas that did not meet ICE’s detention standards. Toilet stalls had three-foot tall privacy barriers, only providing privacy for those seated. Some holding rooms had space for more than thirty people but lacked showers. Staff reported that individuals were held for two to three nights in October 2025, far beyond the twelve-hour limit that DHS waived for all processing centers in June 2025.
DHS staff informed Underwood that there are no medical staff on site at Broadview. Officers call 911 for emergencies. The facility is reportedly seeking assistance from the ICE Health Service Corps or a private medical contractor, but no timeline was provided. This gap places individuals with chronic medical needs at significant risk.
Underwood examined paper intake forms that track basic arrest information, including the arrest team, whether the arrest was targeted or collateral, and whether the individual had medication or identification on their person. All intake information is still collected on paper rather than electronically. This raises concerns about accuracy, completeness, and accountability. It remains unclear whether ICE is logging all arrests connected to Operation Midway Blitz or consistently documenting encounters involving United States citizens.
Officers reported that there were no individuals present during the visit due to a scheduled security system video camera update. They also confirmed that the facility received an oversight visit from a magistrate judge and the ACLU approximately two weeks ago. Recent detainee populations included individuals from Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and several African countries. Detention beds for women is limited in this region, and so most female detainees are being transferred to Kentucky. Transgender detainees are being sent to Denver.
Detained individuals are offered a phone call as a courtesy. Attorney phone calls are routed through the facility control room.
During the visit Underwood also raised concerns about the lack of clear communication from DHS regarding the status of Operation Midway Blitz. No formal notification has been provided indicating whether the operation has concluded. Officers at Broadview stated that Border Patrol does not work inside the facility and were unsure where Border Patrol is currently headquartered in Illinois. However, Underwood was informed that a Border Patrol scout team and intelligence team from El Paso and Detroit entered Illinois in the weeks and months before formally joining the operation.
DHS officials told Underwood that the Chicago immigration court docket is now among the largest in the nation, with more than two hundred thirty thousand cases pending and more than four hundred seventy thousand across the six-state region. Thirty thousand individuals in the Chicago area are categorized as ready for removal. Deportation flights are conducted out of the Gary, Indiana, airport. Currently, within their area of responsibility—which includes Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas, and Missouri—they have three thousand detainees in custody. In response to the influx of detainees, CoreCivic is building a new ICE detention center in Leavenworth, Kansas.
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