14 Suburban Moms Stand Up to Ice and Get Arrested
You know it’s bad when the suburban moms are putting themselves on the frontlines to fight back against ICE and their daily escalations against immigrants.
A group of 14 suburban moms broke a police barricade. They sat in a circle in the middle of he road outside the Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Illinois, as a symbol of civil disobedience last Friday. The protests were ignited after a federal judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security to investigate the treatment of immigration detainees at Broadview.
They are moms from across the western suburbs, demanding an end to what they call the “campaign of chaos,” referring to the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement operation, “Midway Blitz.”
In their words, they want to use their “privilege as white women” to draw attention to what is happening in their neighborhoods and throughout Chicagoland.
The moms weren’t alone in their fight either, as a caravan of about 20 cars also drove by the intersection outside of the Broadview facility, honking their horns with signs on their cars saying “hands off Chicago,” in protest of the ongoing immigration enforcement.
Two more people, in addition to the 14 moms, were arrested, bringing the total to 16. There were at least three demonstrations that day, all with the same messages and including multi-faith prayer.
The protest at the Broadview ICE facility was a striking reminder that the call for justice often emerges from the most unexpected places, an unassuming street lined with single-family homes. What began as a local act of defiance has grown into a powerful symbol of solidarity, as these suburban moms and their allies use their voices and privilege to spotlight the human cost of immigration enforcement.
Their actions reflect a growing recognition that the struggle for humane treatment of immigrants is not confined to border towns or distant detention centers; it is a moral issue rooted in communities across America.
Whether or not their demands result in policy change, their courage and collective action have already inspired an important conversation about accountability, empathy, and the power of ordinary citizens to challenge injustice.
such courage!