Catholic Clergy Sue Trump-Vance White House Over Communion Ban at ICE Facility
Inspired by Pope Leo, priests and nuns are taking the Trump-Vance Administration to court after being repeatedly barred from bringing Holy Communion to migrants at a Chicago detention center.
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For weeks, Catholic priests, religious sisters and brothers in Chicago have been making a simple request: to minister to immigrants held at the Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center.
In early October, hundreds of priests, nuns, and laypeople — many in bright yellow shirts — marched from a local parish to Broadview carrying the Eucharist, which Catholics revere as the body of Christ.
Priests and Nuns Blocked from Bringing Communion at ICE Facility — So They Held A Parking Lot Vigil
Hundreds prayed outside an ICE facility after guards blocked their entry, a scene that unfolded under the shadow of Pope Leo’s plea for migrant dignity.
Their goal was to share Communion with those locked inside and offer spiritual solace to detainees separated from their families. But when they arrived at the gates, Illinois state troopers relayed the request to federal officials and came back with a blunt answer: ICE had denied the clergy entry, without any explanation.
Instead of turning back, the faith delegation held a makeshift Communion service in the facility’s parking lot, hoping their hymns and prayers might at least be heard by the migrants behind the fences.
Fr. Larry Dowling, one of the participating priests, voiced the group’s heartbreak: “We’re just very disappointed because we simply wanted to bring the love of God and the presence of the Eucharist to these prisoners… So they’re basically rejecting us bringing the presence of Christ and the love of God,” he lamented.
Organizers noted this wasn’t a one-off incident — for weeks ICE had been blocking all clergy visits at Broadview despite Illinois law guaranteeing ministers “reasonable access” to those in detention.
The Broadview center, a major holding site for immigrants awaiting deportation, has become a flashpoint in recent months.
Ever since President Trump launched a stepped-up deportation campaign in the Chicago area called “Operation Midway Blitz,” the facility has seen almost daily confrontations between federal agents and protesters, with National Guard troops deployed and tear gas used against crowds.
Yet amid this crackdown, local Catholics have continued to show up in peace, determined to uphold what one organizer called the “dignity of our immigrant brothers and sisters.”
From Peaceful Vigil to Federal Lawsuit
After being rejected at the gates yet again on November 1 — even after following all the proper protocols — the Catholic coalition decided it had enough. So here’s what they decided to do.
