CHICAGO \u2014 Authorities arrested 21 protesters Friday outside a Chicago-area federal immigration facility that activists say functions as a de facto detention center and is plagued by inhumane conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office said the arrests were made by midday, and that it was working on verifying identities and potential charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mayor of Broadview, Katrina Thompson, said four officers were injured in the confrontation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe violence by out-of-town protesters that has led to two Village of Broadview police officers, one Illinois State police officer, and a Cook County Sheriff\u2019s deputy being injured this morning, with the two Broadview officers and the sheriff\u2019s deputy being transported to Loyola hospital, is unacceptable and outrageous,\u201d Thompson said in a statement. \u201cI have repeatedly pleaded to protesters to raise their voices, not their fists. They have chosen their fists.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just moments before the clash, demonstrators were singing and chanting. Around 10 a.m., a large group, knowing they were going to be arrested, allegedly crossed the protest barrier and attempted to walk up toward the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some protesters carried signs reading, “God’s Love Knows No Borders” and “God Demands Freedom.” Some of them prayed. The crowd numbered about 300 before it began to disperse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The officers included Illinois State Police and Cook County sheriffs’ police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The facility in Broadview, Illinois, has been the site of frequent protests, particularly on Fridays, against a federal immigration crackdown dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz.” It has led to more than 3,200 arrests in the Chicago metropolitan area since September of people suspecting of violating immigration laws .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aggressive tactics used by agents from Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have repeatedly come under fire through legal challenges as well as street protests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n