Faith Leaders Arrested in Chicago ICE Protest as Tensions Rise

Nearly two dozen people, including prominent faith leaders, were arrested on Friday as they staged a peaceful protest outside a federal immigration processing facility near Chicago. The demonstration, held in Broadview, Illinois, highlights escalating tensions surrounding the Trump administration’s intensified push on immigration enforcement.

According to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, 21 individuals were detained outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center. While specific identities and charges were not immediately released, local ministers confirmed that Michael Woolf, a well-known pastor at Lake Street Church of Evanston, was among those taken into custody.

Protest Rooted in Faith and Advocacy

Friday’s demonstration was part of an organized effort by interfaith leaders, immigrant-rights advocates, and community members who gathered in solidarity with families facing detention or deportation. Protesters assembled early in the morning, forming a human chain near the entrance of the facility while chanting prayers and calling for more humane immigration policies.

Organizers said their goal was to send a moral message: that separating families and detaining vulnerable immigrants contradicts the values of compassion, justice, and human dignity.

“We are here because our faith compels us to stand with those who suffer,” one of the leaders said before the arrests. “We cannot be silent when families in our communities are living in fear.”

Authorities Respond to Civil Disobedience

Officials reported that the group was blocking access to parts of the facility, prompting police intervention. Officers issued multiple warnings before proceeding with the arrests. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office stated that those detained were taken peacefully and without confrontation.

ICE did not immediately comment on the demonstration or the arrests.

Broader National Tension Over Immigration Enforcement

The arrests come during a period of heightened nationwide debate over the administration’s immigration strategy. Advocacy groups have criticized what they describe as increasingly aggressive enforcement actions that target long-standing residents, mixed-status families, and individuals with deep community ties.

Faith communities, in particular, have played a growing role in protests, offering sanctuary to immigrants and publicly denouncing detention practices. Broadview has become a symbolic location, often serving as a gathering point for vigils, demonstrations, and weekly prayer circles for families facing deportation.

Support and Calls for Change Continue

Following the arrests, supporters gathered outside local police facilities, demanding the immediate release of the detainees and reaffirming their commitment to continued advocacy.

Community groups say more demonstrations are planned in the coming weeks as part of a broader call for federal immigration reform, emphasizing dignity, due process, and family protection.

“Today’s arrests won’t silence us,” another faith leader said after the protest. “They will only strengthen our resolve to fight for a fairer and more compassionate system.”