Protesters Violently Arrested as ICE Barbie Stages Photo Op
Just before 8 a.m. Friday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was spotted with a film crew on the roof of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Illinois, where protesters on the street below were met with aggressive force throughout the morning.
The facility has become a flashpoint due to its use in the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz in Illinois.
“They’re committing crimes against humanity there,” Kat Abughazaleh, a Democratic U.S. House candidate in Illinois told The New Republic last month, after she was thrown forcefully to the ground by an ICE agent at a protest outside of it. In recent weeks, many Illinoisans protesting at the center have been tackled, dragged away, tear-gassed, and otherwise menaced by masked federal agents clad in tactical gear.
Social media footage from Friday shows heavily militarized federal law enforcement—including officers with numerous agencies, an armored vehicle, and snipers stationed on the roof—as well violent skirmishes in which protesters were hauled off, with more than a dozen reported arrests.
???? HAPPENING NOW: Heavy military presence outside the Broadview ICE facility in Illinois.
— Ron Smith (@Ronxyz00) October 3, 2025
Snipers can be seen on top of armored vehicles. Protesters are also being arrested.
This is insane. This is not America anymore. pic.twitter.com/PvakidqfbI
Local and state law enforcement were also present, drawing criticism, though the police say they were “not assisting ICE with any detention operations,” per CBS News.
As protesters gathered below early Friday morning, Noem was videoed on the roof of the facility by an ABC7 Chicago helicopter. The homeland security secretary, whose staged photo-ops have earned her such monikers as “Cosplay Kristi” and “ICE Barbie,” was surrounded by cameras and a production crew.
Joining Noem for the photo-op was Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino, who eventually joined the scrum below, as journalist Taha Syed recorded him shouting at a protester before piling on top of him.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker decried Noem’s presence at the facility in a thread on X. “Federal agents reporting to Secretary Noem have spent weeks snatching up families, scaring law-abiding residents, violating due process rights, and even detaining U.S. citizens,” he wrote.
“Secretary Noem should no longer be able to step foot inside the State of Illinois without any form of public accountability,” Pritzker said, calling on her to hold a press conference. “Illinois is not a photo opportunity or warzone,” he added, “it’s a sovereign state where our people deserve rights, respect, and answers.”