A federal court in Chicago issued a blistering temporary restraining order on 6 November requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to clean toilets, provide bedding and grant confidential lawyer calls for detainees at its Broadview, Illinois processing site. Judge Robert Gettleman said testimony about filth and overcrowding “did not pass constitutional muster” and gave ICE 48 hours to comply or risk contempt.
Broadview was converted from a same-day processing hub into a 72-hour holding facility this autumn, after Chicago became a focal point of stepped-up workplace raids. Lawyers described it as a “black box” where migrants vanished off the grid—some reporting three days without showers or phone access. ICE argued detentions were too brief to require upgrades and warned the order could cripple enforcement across Illinois.
![Chicago judge orders humane conditions at ICE’s Broadview holding centre]()
For global-mobility teams, the ruling highlights growing litigation risk when business travellers are swept up in mass operations. Employers should ensure foreign staff carry evidence of status and have 24/7 counsel on call. The decision may also embolden similar suits in other sanctuary jurisdictions where temporary holding cells have sprung up.
A merits hearing is set for 19 November. If the injunction becomes permanent, ICE may be forced to cap intake or transfer detainees to distant facilities—driving up removal timelines and costs.
Broadview was converted from a same-day processing hub into a 72-hour holding facility this autumn, after Chicago became a focal point of stepped-up workplace raids. Lawyers described it as a “black box” where migrants vanished off the grid—some reporting three days without showers or phone access. ICE argued detentions were too brief to require upgrades and warned the order could cripple enforcement across Illinois.
For global-mobility teams, the ruling highlights growing litigation risk when business travellers are swept up in mass operations. Employers should ensure foreign staff carry evidence of status and have 24/7 counsel on call. The decision may also embolden similar suits in other sanctuary jurisdictions where temporary holding cells have sprung up.
A merits hearing is set for 19 November. If the injunction becomes permanent, ICE may be forced to cap intake or transfer detainees to distant facilities—driving up removal timelines and costs.
