When the Trump administration, along with ICE, announced immigration policies, no one imagined that the impact of these policies would cause so much unrest throughout the country. What began as a mass deportation operation has now become, according to lawmakers and advocates, a serious threat to human rights and basic living conditions across the U.S.
Civil rights advocates in Illinois have filed a lawsuit against federal authorities, alleging “inhumane” treatment and systemic rights violations at a Chicago-area immigration processing facility. This is not the first time Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has faced lawsuits over alleged mistreatment of detainees; similar cases have been reported across the country.
The lawsuit, brought by attorneys from the ACLU of Illinois and the MacArthur Justice Center, accuses U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of denying detainees at the Broadview facility private access to their lawyers, while also blocking entry to members of Congress, faith leaders, and journalists.
60 people in one cell. Detainees forced to sleep standing up.
These aren’t just illegal actions happening within the Broadview ICE facility; they’re inhumane and immoral.
It’s time ICE and Trump allow Members of Congress to enter and inspect these facilities. pic.twitter.com/1rwjWFSg8s
— Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) October 24, 2025
Advocates argue that these restrictions have effectively turned the facility into a “black box,” allowing agents to operate “with impunity.” Reportedly, the complaint stated that ICE authorities have also urged detainees to sign documents that they do not understand. This serious violation of rights has led to individuals unknowingly waiving their legal rights and facing deportation. ( via Associated Press).
Alexa Van Brunt, director of the MacArthur Justice Center’s Illinois office and lead counsel on the case, described the situation as dire. Detainees have allegedly been denied adequate food, medical care, and basic necessities. “Everyone, regardless of immigration status, deserves access to legal counsel and humane treatment,” Brunt added.
The lawsuit names ICE, DHS, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as defendants, alleging violations of detainees’ Fifth Amendment right to due process and First Amendment right to access legal representation. It’s been months since the conditions have been below average, making life very difficult for those living there.
#BREAKING New lawsuit alleges ‘inhumane’ conditions at Broadview ICE facility https://t.co/fM040pa3i5
— WGN Morning News (@WGNMorningNews) October 31, 2025
As many as 200 people can be held at once without reliable access to legal counsel, as per the complaint against the Broadview facility. The facility has also become a focal point for protests, some of which have resulted in arrests. Earlier, DHS dismissed claims of poor treatment, asserting that detainees receive adequate food, medical care, and communication privileges.
Similarly, Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz detention facility has faced criticism for what advocates describe as inhumane living conditions—drawing disturbing comparisons to prisons or even concentration camps.
Rep. Maxwell Frost exposed the conditions via a video on TikTok after he visited the facility in July 2025. “It’s literally a spigot that comes from the toilet… The food portions are horrible, it was very hot… I saw people sweating,” he added.
The tensions increased when Venezuelan influencer Luis Manuel Rivas Velásquez, whose lawyers started demanding answers following his mysterious disappearance after he was rushed to medical care after an emergency at the same facility. He was then shifted to Texas, where he was not given access to his medical files.
Rep. Maxwell Frost describes the inhumane situation at Alligator Alcatraz following his visit:
“What I saw made my heart sink. I saw 32 people per cage– about 6 cages in one tent. People were yelling ‘help me help me’. Someone said I’m a US citizen… The drinking water comes… pic.twitter.com/gnnGJCBcka
— Ron Smith (@Ronxyz00) July 12, 2025
Esteban Danilo Quiroga-Chaparro, a Colombian national and green card applicant, was detained by ICE at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field office in San Francisco on October 22, 2025.
As his husband, Jacob Ryan Rojas, tries to release him in desperation, he also complained about the poor living conditions at the Golden State Annex detention facility. He claimed that Chaparro was asked to sleep on a concrete floor as more than 100 people tried to fit in one single room.
As conditions in detention centers across the country continue to worsen, advocates say swift action is needed to ensure justice and humane treatment for those affected.
If you would like to support Esteban’s defense here is his GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/6d74e0a07