Documenting U.S. State Violence on Citizens Exercising Constitutional Rights.
Broadview, IL September 26 - 27, 2025.
48 hours of hell in Broadview, IL.
Before you read this article, please be aware that on September 26 and September 27, 2025, ICE and other federal law enforcement agencies attacked peaceful protestors, journalists, media, NLG (National Lawyers Guild), and civilian medics outside of the detention center in Broadview, IL. They acted without fear of any repercussions and hid their faces with masks to avoid being identified. We have crossed the Rubicon.
This article contains sensitive documentation that may be uncomfortable for some readers.
All photos and videos are copyright © 2025 by Adriano Kalin unless otherwise expressed.
Please check out Rachel Cohen’s Substack, a political activist based out of Chicago who has helped immensely in helping me get my work out to the public. She supports independent journalists, and you should also check her Substack and Instagram.
Honoroble mentions: Andres Chaves & Wali Khan both made sure I was safe and we looked out for one another. Please check out their work on instagram.


Day 1: September 26, 2025
It’s Friday, September 26, 2025, at 1930 Beach Street in Broadview, Illinois. ICE has illegally annexed a public road despite warnings from the fire department that it poses a serious risk to public safety. Protestors and media gather at the edge of the street near the fence, watching as atrocities unfold against detainees hidden away in a boarded-up facility.
There is an uneasy tension in the air. To stand so close to this site of trauma, to witness it through the lens of a camera, is to confront the reality of what is happening behind closed doors. Documenting it is both necessary and deeply unsettling.
At the start of the day, protestors “Jericho Walked” from one edge of the sidewalk to the other, forming a spiritually grounded human barrier to slow the movement of ICE agents and vehicles carrying detainees into the premises adjacent to the detention center for about an hour and a half. As the morning progressed, more journalists, media, and protesters began to arrive.
However, around 9:00 to 9:30 a.m., ICE escalated the situation sharply. Agents began forcing protestors closer to the facility gate, where they stood ready to strike, armed with chemical weapons and flash bangs. The protestors were exercising their First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceful assembly, yet they were met with aggression and intimidation.
No one was spared from the effects of the tear gas, pepper bullets, and rubber bullets. The wind carried the chemicals directly toward the protest, leaving federal agents untouched while demonstrators bore the full force of chemical irritants.

Official Statement from the NLG
The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) is a progressive bar association that provides legal support for movements fighting for human rights and social justice. During protests, they often deploy legal observers in bright green hats to monitor police activity and document potential rights violations. They also connect demonstrators with legal aid, ensuring that those arrested or targeted have access to representation and support.
Photos and videos captured several hours of chaos as ICE terrorized protestors and members of the media.



One thing I want to make abundantly clear is that during hours of chaos, the Broadview police stood by and watched. We are told they are here to protect and serve, yet as the Broadview community had its rights violated, they did nothing. ICE agents were behind closed doors with a sniper posted on the roof, periodically firing at protestors who posed no threat, and the Broadview police witnessed from a distance, but took no action to intervene.
The people were abandoned, full stop. In the photo below, you can see officers at the intersection merely spectating while civilians and volunteer medics rushed to help protestors flush their eyes with water and saline.

Day 2: September 27, 2025
The powder keg has officially been lit as Trump makes a post on his Truth Social platform, fanning the flames of executive power to threaten the very civilians he is sworn to protect, screenshot below.
At this point, the federal government is blatantly refusing to cooperate with local ordinances.
With the realization that the fuse had been lit, Broadview Mayor Katrina R. Thompson issued a statement to residents. The statement, available as a scanned PDF on the official Broadview website, addresses the unfolding events in the community. Official Statement
When protestors and media arrived outside the Federal ICE Detention Center in Broadview, IL, it was already clear that it was a high-risk situation. Some attendees on September 26 decided not to return on September 27 due to the increased risk after Trump’s post on Truth Social. To be clear, this elevated risk was entirely due to anticipated action by ICE agents and not due to plans or intent to escalate on the part of the protesters or the media. This was demonstrated throughout the night, particularly when ICE agents threw chemical agents into a food tent and a medic tent set up by protestors.


I understand the tension and heaviness of this moment. Independent journalists are putting their lives on the line to ensure you see what is happening across the United States and the world. This work is not easy, but it must be witnessed. Only by observing and educating ourselves can we confront the atrocities being carried out against both law-abiding citizens and undocumented immigrants in this country.
I also want to acknowledge that while I appreciate our governor in Illinois (J.B. Pritzker), I believe he has not done enough to protect his constituents. This was not subtle — there were clear warnings on the ground that this escalation was coming. Where was the attorney general of Illinois? Where was the leadership our community needed? The people were abandoned.
When I first saw the painting of Ruby Bridges as a teenager, I believed federal agents represented a higher standard of integrity than state or local police forces. But in one full sweeping motion, the Trump administration has callously twisted the federal government into a personal bodyguard and weapon.
Art has always been a catalyst for change. Paintings and photography work in tandem to create a discourse that society cannot ignore.
Over the past 48 hours, one word comes to mind: stress. We are living in a frightening time when journalists can be targeted or even abducted by the government for simply documenting what is happening on the ground. In an era of AI and constant surveillance, speaking about what you witness can feel overwhelming, but it has never been more urgent.
As a disabled photographer, my back aches, my head throbs, and my hands sweat with anxiety, yet I know this is bigger than me. I document so that future generations might understand what America looked like in the early 21st century and, hopefully, build a better life from those lessons. It is imperative that, as a society, we confront our mistakes, challenge our one-sided views, and learn to meet one another with honesty and compassion. Still, I will never treat racism as an “opinion” to be debated — it is wrong, and it must be rejected.
Stay safe, friends.
















































Stay safe, we support you!❤️
These are AMAZING photographs, and I was there with you yesterday (American flag guy in the evening around sunset).