Illinois: Resources for ICE Detainees

This guide is for people detained by ICE in Illinois and for their families. Illinois has a unique situation: state law prohibits ICE from contracting with county jails and state prisons to detain immigrants. As a result, there are no long-term ICE detention facilities inside Illinois. People arrested by ICE in Illinois are processed at the Broadview Processing Center - a short-term staging facility in west suburban Broadview - and then transferred to detention facilities outside the state, most commonly Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, Indiana. Illinois also has a critical legal protection unique to this state: the Castañon Nava consent decree, which limits warrantless arrests by ICE in Illinois and six surrounding states. This decree has been used to secure the release of hundreds of people. 'Operation Midway Blitz' - a major ICE enforcement sweep of Chicago-area neighborhoods that began in September 2025 - generated national attention, hundreds of arrests, documented conditions abuses at Broadview, and significant litigation. Illinois saw the sharpest increase in ICE arrests of any US state in the first five weeks after the blitz began. Call the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) immediately if a family member is arrested: immigrantjustice.org. Last verified: June 2026.

Step 1: Find Your Family Member - Right Now

ICE Online Detainee Locator: locator.ice.gov

You need: the person's full legal name, date of birth, and country of birth - OR their A-Number (Alien Registration Number). Important: Multiple detainees from Operation Midway Blitz reported that they did not appear in the ICE Detainee Locator for extended periods after arrest. If the locator returns nothing, call ICE and NIJC immediately - do not wait.

ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line: 1-888-351-4024 (toll-free)

EOIR Immigration Court Case Status: 1-800-898-7180

ICE ERO Chicago Field Office: 101 W. Ida B. Wells Drive, Suite 4000, Chicago, IL 60605

ICE Chicago Field Office email: Chicago.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov

Broadview Processing Center (first stop after most Chicago-area arrests): 1930 Beach Street, Broadview, IL 60155

NIJC Immigration Emergency Hotline: immigrantjustice.org - National Immigrant Justice Center is the primary legal resource for detained immigrants in Illinois and Indiana. Contact them immediately.

ACLU of Illinois: aclu-il.org | (312) 201-9740 - particularly for cases involving warrantless arrest or Operation Midway Blitz arrests that may violate the Castañon Nava consent decree.

If a family member was arrested but you cannot find them: ICE routinely transfers detainees from Broadview to out-of-state facilities within hours. The Detainee Locator may not update for 24-48 hours. Call NIJC and the ICE ERO Chicago office the same day.

Step 2: Where ICE Detainees Are Held - Illinois Has No Long-Term ICE Facilities

Illinois state law prohibits ICE from contracting with state or county institutions to detain immigrants. This means there are no county jail ICE contracts and no state prison ICE contracts in Illinois. Instead, ICE uses a two-step process: people are first processed at Broadview and then transferred to out-of-state facilities.

Broadview Processing Center - First Stop for Most Illinois Arrests

1930 Beach Street, Broadview, IL 60155 (west suburb of Chicago)

Phone: Chicago ICE Field Office (773) 580-8900 (general) | Chicago.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov

Broadview is officially a 'processing center' - a staging facility designed for very short-term holds before transfer to a detention facility. Historically, people were not supposed to spend more than 12 hours here. In June 2025, ICE changed policy to allow stays up to 72 hours. During Operation Midway Blitz, people were held for multiple days - with one documented three-week stay. A November 2025 lawsuit and subsequent court order addressed these conditions.

Conditions at Broadview have been documented as extremely poor: no beds (detainees sleep on floors or plastic chairs), limited food (sandwiches and water), toilets in the open with no soap or toothpaste, no private space to speak with attorneys, and no medical staff on-site. A federal judge issued a court order in late 2025 requiring ICE to improve conditions after a class-action lawsuit by the MacArthur Justice Center and ACLU of Illinois.

Broadview has no visitation, no regular phone system, and no services. It is a processing facility, not a detention center. You cannot post bond at Broadview. If a family member is at Broadview, the priority is to contact a lawyer immediately - transfer to an out-of-state facility can happen at any time.

Detainees at Broadview: A PIN number is assigned to make phone calls; it takes one day to receive. Calls require a prepaid account through Numi Financial. Family members can call the facility at 866-348-6231. Calls cost money and are monitored except for hotlines and designated legal calls. Phone vendor: Talton Communication.

Miami Correctional Facility - Primary Transfer Destination (Bunker Hill, Indiana)

3038 West 850 South, Bunker Hill, IN 46914

Phone: (765) 689-8920

Case information email: ICE ERO Chicago | Chicago.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov

Legal visits/VTC: (765) 689-8920 ext. 5495 or MCFSchedule@idoc.IN.gov (24-hour advance scheduling)

Tablets: gettingout.com for messaging

ICE ERO bond complaints address: 101 W Ida B Wells Drive, Suite 4000, Chicago, Illinois 60605

Miami Correctional Facility (MCF) in Bunker Hill, Indiana is the primary long-term detention facility for Illinois ICE detainees. It is a high-medium security state prison operated by the Indiana Department of Correction under a contract with DHS signed in August 2025. The contract holds up to 1,000 ICE detainees and pays Indiana approximately $291-$294 per person per day - nearly four times the state's own per-person daily cost. As of early 2026, approximately 550 people were detained there daily, and more than 800 people had passed through since October 2025.

MCF is approximately 75 miles south of Chicago in rural Indiana. Two deaths occurred at MCF in early 2026, within two months of each other. A Freedom for Immigrants hotline received nearly 70 calls from people inside in December 2025 alone, reporting severe medical neglect, inadequate food, and physical abuse by guards.

Note: The ICE ERO Chicago Field Office's feedback/complaint address for MCF is 101 W Ida B Wells Drive, Suite 4000, Chicago, IL 60605.

Other Transfer Destinations

North Lake Processing Center - North Lake, Michigan

North Lake, MI - Reopened in June 2025 under a new DHS contract, becoming the largest immigration detention center in the Midwest. Marshall Project reporting documented Illinois-area detainees transferred here. Contact ICE ERO Chicago for current information.

Camp East Montana - Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas

Fort Bliss military base, El Paso, TX - A large-scale detention camp that opened August 2025, the first tent-style detention camp of the Trump second term. Marshall Project data found Illinois Midway Blitz detainees transferred here. As of December 2025, it was averaging 2,700+ daily detainees. Multiple documented abuses including failed ICE inspection (60+ standards violations), reports of coercion to cross into Mexico, sexual abuse, and denial of medication.

Ste. Genevieve County Jail - Ste. Genevieve, Missouri

NIJC documented Illinois detainees transferred here. Contact ICE ERO Chicago for current information.

Other Midwest and national facilities

ICE has broad discretionary authority to transfer detainees anywhere in the country. Illinois detainees have been transferred to Kansas, Missouri, Michigan, Texas, and other states. Use the ICE Detainee Locator to track current location after any transfer.

Step 3: Get Legal Help - Critical and Time-Sensitive

Illinois has exceptionally strong immigration legal organizations - led by NIJC and ACLU of Illinois - with deep experience representing Illinois detainees and ongoing litigation specific to Illinois enforcement.

National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) - Primary Legal Resource

immigrantjustice.org | Chicago

NIJC is the primary immigration legal services organization for Illinois and Indiana detained immigrants. They provide free and low-cost legal services including full removal defense, detention representation, and advocacy. NIJC has offices in Chicago, Goshen and Indianapolis (Indiana), San Diego, and Washington DC. In 2026, they employed over 160 staff and a network of approximately 2,000 pro bono attorneys. NIJC provides a free Immigration Court Help Desk at the Chicago Immigration Court. NIJC has been the lead legal organization in the Operation Midway Blitz response and Castañon Nava litigation.

NIJC filed federal court notices in late September 2025 on behalf of 35 people unlawfully arrested without warrants by DHS officers since May 2025. They represent Illinois detainees at MCF in Indiana and at other transfer destinations.

ACLU of Illinois

aclu-il.org | (312) 201-9740 | Chicago

The ACLU of Illinois is co-counsel with NIJC on the Castañon Nava consent decree litigation - the most powerful legal protection for Illinois immigrants. The ACLU filed the MacArthur Justice Center class-action lawsuit over Broadview conditions. ACLU Illinois has been central to the legal fight against Operation Midway Blitz and the Broadview conditions. Contact immediately if a family member was arrested without a warrant or believes their arrest was unlawful.

MacArthur Justice Center - Chicago

macarthurjustice.org | Chicago - Filed the class-action lawsuit on Broadview conditions. Contact for systemic rights violations in detention.

The Castañon Nava Consent Decree - Illinois-Specific Legal Protection

The Castañon Nava consent decree (Castañon Nava v. Department of Homeland Security) is a critical and Illinois-specific legal tool. This 2022 consent decree - litigated by the ACLU of Illinois and NIJC - restricts ICE and CBP from conducting warrantless arrests in Illinois and five other Midwestern states without reasonable belief that the person is subject to removal. The decree was repeatedly violated during Operation Midway Blitz in 2025. A federal court found violations and ordered releases. The consent decree extends through at least February 2026 while litigation continues.

If a family member was arrested without a warrant - particularly if they were stopped on the street, at a traffic stop, at an immigration appointment, or in another situation without ICE presenting a judicial warrant - contact ACLU of Illinois and NIJC immediately. The arrest may violate the decree and the person may be eligible for release.

Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD)

ocadchicago.org - Chicago-based community organization that has been a plaintiff in Castañon Nava litigation and active in rapid response to Operation Midway Blitz. Contact for community support, mutual aid, and rapid response.

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)

icirr.org | Chicago - State-level immigration advocacy coalition. A plaintiff in Castañon Nava. Provides community resources and advocacy for immigrant communities.

Freedom for Immigrants

freedomforimmigrants.org | Detention hotline - The Freedom for Immigrants hotline received nearly 70 calls from people inside Miami Correctional Facility in December 2025 alone. Contact for support with people detained at MCF and other Illinois transfer destinations.

Immigration Court Help Desk

NIJC operates a free help desk at the Chicago Immigration Court. If a family member has a court date in Chicago, the help desk can provide guidance.

EOIR Pro Bono List

Each ICE detention facility is required to post a pro bono legal service list in housing units. Ask your family member at MCF or another facility to request this list and contact providers on it.

Immigration Advocates Network

immigrationadvocates.org - National searchable directory; search by Illinois or Indiana (for MCF) for additional resources.

Step 4: Bond - How to Get Someone Released

Illinois has an additional legal protection beyond standard bond: the Castañon Nava consent decree can require ICE to release people arrested without warrants regardless of bond status. Always contact NIJC and ACLU of Illinois to assess this avenue in parallel with seeking bond.

Standard immigration bond: Bond allows a detained person to be released from ICE custody while their case proceeds in immigration court. An immigration judge sets bond. Not everyone is eligible - mandatory detention applies in some cases, and a July 2025 ICE policy memo sought to eliminate bond eligibility for many categories of detainees. Courts have contested this policy. Have an attorney evaluate bond options immediately.

The Chicago Immigration Court (at the Metcalfe Federal Building, 77 W. Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604) handles bond hearings for Illinois detainees including those transferred to Indiana.

Bond posting for Illinois detainees

Bond is posted at the ICE ERO Chicago Field Office:

ICE ERO Chicago: 101 W. Ida B. Wells Drive, Suite 4000, Chicago, IL 60605

Phone: Contact Chicago.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov or (773) 580-8900 for current hours.

Payment: Money order, cashier's check, or certified check payable to 'Department of Homeland Security.' For bonds over $10,000, a single cashier's check or certified check is required.

Bond can also be posted by a licensed immigration bond agent electronically, without traveling to Chicago. Bond agents charge 15%-20% of the bond amount as a non-refundable fee.

Bond Funds

National Immigrant Bond Fund

immigrantbondfund.org - National fund; requires family contribution.

Illinois community and mutual aid funds

Contact OCAD (ocadchicago.org) and ICIRR (icirr.org) for current Illinois-specific bond assistance and mutual aid resources for Operation Midway Blitz-affected families.

Step 5: Communication - Across State Lines

Broadview Processing Center (if still there)

Family calls: 866-348-6231 - Calls monitored. PIN required (takes one day to receive). Prepaid account through Numi Financial. Vendor: Talton Communication.

Broadview has no regular visitation. If a family member is at Broadview, assume transfer could happen any time. The goal is to contact a lawyer before the transfer.

Miami Correctional Facility - Bunker Hill, Indiana

Phone: (765) 689-8920

Non-confidential messaging: gettingout.com

Attorney virtual visits: MCFSchedule@idoc.IN.gov | (765) 689-8920 ext. 5495 - Schedule 24 hours ahead; appointments during normal visiting hours in 30-60 minute increments

Medical provider: Centurion Health; emergencies go to Dukes Memorial Hospital (Peru, IN) or Luther Hospital (Fort Wayne)

Mail: [Detainee Full Name + A-Number], Miami Correctional Facility, 3038 West 850 South, Bunker Hill, IN 46914

Step 6: Illinois Context - What Families Need to Know

Illinois is one of the most legally active states for immigration enforcement litigation, with specific protections that do not exist elsewhere:

Operation Midway Blitz (September 2025 onward):

In early September 2025, ICE and CBP launched 'Operation Midway Blitz,' a mass enforcement sweep targeting Chicago-area neighborhoods. DHS reported arresting more than 800 people in the first weeks. Illinois saw the sharpest increase in ICE arrests of any state in the first five weeks. Reports described agents surrounding vehicles, threatening to break windows, and arresting people at immigration appointments, soccer games, traffic stops, and in their neighborhoods. Multiple federal lawsuits were filed documenting constitutional violations.

The Castañon Nava Consent Decree:

This consent decree limits ICE and CBP's ability to conduct warrantless arrests in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky, and Kansas. If a family member was arrested without ICE presenting a judicial warrant, ACLU of Illinois and NIJC should be contacted immediately. The decree has been used to secure the release of hundreds of people arrested during Operation Midway Blitz. As of early 2026, the consent decree remained in effect while appellate litigation continued.

Illinois anti-detention law:

Illinois state law prohibits ICE from contracting with county jails and state prisons to detain immigrants. This was supposed to protect Illinois immigrant communities from the 287(g) pipeline common in other states. ICE responded by using Broadview - a processing center operating under different rules - as a staging facility and transferring people out of state. The law has protected Illinois from in-state long-term detention but has not prevented ICE enforcement or out-of-state transfers.

Do not sign anything without an attorney:

Multiple detainees from Operation Midway Blitz reported being coerced into signing voluntary departure forms at Broadview - sometimes by being lied to, threatened, or having their conditions used as leverage. Signing voluntary departure waives critical legal rights and affects the ability to return to the United States. Say: 'I will not sign anything without speaking with a lawyer first.'

Key rights every detainee has:

The right to speak with an attorney - and to do so privately. Broadview has been documented to deny private attorney-client conversations; this is a violation of rights.

The right to a bond hearing before an immigration judge (unless subject to mandatory detention).

The right not to be arrested without a judicial warrant or reasonable belief that you are subject to removal (Castañon Nava protection in Illinois and surrounding states).

The right to be free from physical, sexual, and verbal abuse.

The right to access medical care.

The right to communicate with your home country's consulate.

The right to refuse to sign any document without an attorney.

To report abuse or file a complaint:

NIJC: immigrantjustice.org

ACLU of Illinois: aclu-il.org | (312) 201-9740

Freedom for Immigrants hotline: freedomforimmigrants.org

DHS Inspector General: oig.dhs.gov | 1-800-323-8603

Quick Reference - Illinois ICE Detainee Resources

Find a detainee:

ICE Detainee Locator: locator.ice.gov (may lag 24-48 hours; do not wait)

ICE Detention Reporting Line: 1-888-351-4024

EOIR Case Status: 1-800-898-7180

ICE ERO Chicago: Chicago.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov

Broadview Processing Center family calls: 866-348-6231

Legal help - call immediately:

NIJC: immigrantjustice.org (primary resource for Illinois and Indiana detention)

ACLU of Illinois: aclu-il.org | (312) 201-9740 (Castañon Nava; Broadview conditions)

OCAD (rapid response): ocadchicago.org

MacArthur Justice Center: macarthurjustice.org

Broadview Processing Center (initial staging):

1930 Beach Street, Broadview, IL 60155

Family calls: 866-348-6231 (PIN required; prepaid via Numi Financial; monitored)

No visitation; no beds; no medical; transfer can happen at any time

Miami Correctional Facility (primary transfer destination, Indiana):

3038 West 850 South, Bunker Hill, IN 46914 | (765) 689-8920

Messaging: gettingout.com | Legal visits: MCFSchedule@idoc.IN.gov

Post bond:

ICE ERO Chicago: 101 W. Ida B. Wells Drive, Suite 4000, Chicago, IL 60605

Sources and verification: Chicago Sun-Times / WBEZ, 'ICE's Broadview Facility Has Become a De Facto Detention Center,' October 1, 2025 (1930 Beach Street Broadview; no medical staff no food prep no beds; June 2025 ICE changed policy to 72 hours; Operation Midway Blitz September 2025; three-week stay in Oct. 30 lawsuit; Franzblau NIJC; Illinois Congressional members denied entry; DOJ lawyer acknowledged 'not equipped to be an overnight facility'; Judge Blakey hearing; Gladis Yolanda Chavez four days June; Yushell Alejandro Yin Del Toro three days; cold floor plastic chairs sandwiches water open toilet no soap toothpaste; no private attorney calls; 2023 audit single shower out of commission used for storage; Bean Street address); NIJC report, 'After the Blitz: What Our Chicago Neighbors Are Facing in ICE Detention,' December 11, 2025 (Operation Midway Blitz early September 2025; Broadview first stop; Illinois banned ICE from detaining in county jails and state prisons; transfers to Ste. Genevieve County Jail MO; Miami Correctional Facility IN; ICE pressure to sign voluntary departure; medical care denied; solitary confinement; DHS said 3,000 in detention Chicago area; Congress denied entry to Broadview; Congresswoman Underwood finally allowed in); Rep. Underwood press release, 'Underwood Details Systemic Issues,' December 24, 2025 (Miami Correctional Facility 3038 West 850 South Bunker Hill IN 46914 (765) 689-8920; MCFSchedule@idoc.IN.gov ext 5495 for legal VTC; gettingout.com for messaging; 550 ICE detainees as of visit; August 2025 DHS contracted with Indiana up to 1,000 detainees under OBBBA 287(g); Centurion Health medical; Dukes Memorial Peru Lutheran Fort Wayne Community Howard Kokomo hospitals; ICE ERO Chicago 101 W Ida B Wells Drive Suite 4000 Chicago IL 60605; Broadview family calls 866-348-6231 PIN one day Numi Financial Talton Communication; Chicago immigration court 260,000 pending 11,000-12,000 ATD; HSI Chicago Lombard IL; families with children may be at Lombard facility; MCC Chicago; Cook County DOC); ACLU of Indiana, 'Two Deaths at Miami Correctional Facility,' April 9, 2026 (two deaths in less than two months 2026; August 2025 IDOC-DHS two-year agreement up to 1,000 people; $291-$294 per detainee per day nearly 4x state rate; 550 average daily early 2026; 800+ through since October 2025; Freedom for Immigrants hotline 70 calls December 2025 severe medical neglect inadequate food physical abuse guards; Congressional oversight delays Detainee Locator; 15 deaths ICE custody 2026 as of April; Centurion Health contractor); Marshall Project, 'New ICE Midway Blitz Data,' December 18, 2025 (Illinois sharpest increase in ICE arrests any state first 5 weeks; North Lake Processing Center Michigan reopened June 2025 largest ICE facility Midwest; Fernando Ramirez Indiana arrested sent North Lake; Camp East Montana Fort Bliss El Paso August 2025; 2,700 average daily December; 60+ detention standards failures ICE inspection; coercion cross into Mexico Cuba detainees; sexual abuse toilets overflowing denied medication); ABC7 Chicago / ACLU IL Castañon Nava page (2022 consent decree; warrantless arrest restriction; Illinois + 5 neighboring states; October 7, 2025 judge granted enforcement extended to February 2026; 22 class members wrongfully arrested Latino immigrants Chicago and Liberty MO; blank warrants filled out after detention; September 2025 30 more violations Operation Midway Blitz; November 13, 2025 615 people ordered released to alternatives to detention; Seventh Circuit stayed release December 11, 2025; 13 immediate releases ordered; decree in effect while motions considered February 2026; February 17, 2026 four people still in ICE custody ordered released); ICE Miami Correctional page (ice.gov; feedback address 101 W Ida B Wells Chicago IL 60605; gettingout.com non-confidential messages; VTC (765) 689-8920 ext 5495 MCFSchedule@idoc.IN.gov); NIJC background (immigrantjustice.org; 160+ staff 2,000 pro bono attorneys; Chicago Indianapolis Goshen San Diego DC offices; free Court Help Desk Chicago and Indianapolis; September 2025 notices on behalf of 35 people unlawfully arrested since May 2025; Castañon Nava co-counsel). Volatile items: Verify Broadview Processing Center current operational status and policy (population dropped to 4 as of November 18, 2025 after court order; ICE agents reportedly leaving Chicago ahead of possible spring return; verify current status and address operations); verify Castañon Nava consent decree current status (extended to February 2026; appellate litigation ongoing; verify current enforceability as of June 2026); verify MCF current ICE population (550 as of late 2025/early 2026; contract runs two years from August 2025); verify North Lake Processing Center Michigan status (reopened June 2025; verify current address and phone); verify ICE ERO Chicago current address and hours for bond posting. Last verified: June 2026.