Religious leaders allowed into Broadview ICE facility for Ash Wednesday after judge orders DHS to grant access

Faith leaders were granted access to the Broadview ICE facility to provide pastoral care to detainees and staff on Ash Wednesday after months of denied access.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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After clergy had repeatedly been denied access inside the Broadview ICE facility, three local religious leaders were allowed into the building to pray with and provide religious services to detainees and staff for Ash Wednesday. The access was the result of a recent court order that ruled Roman Catholic clergy members be allowed to minister to detainees at the Broadview facility on the day of prayer, which marks the start of Lent.

Why it matters

The Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown has galvanized religious leader opposition across the country, with faith leaders often finding themselves on the front lines in supporting immigrant communities. The Broadview ICE facility has been a flashpoint, with religious leaders previously granted access to provide pastoral care being denied in recent months, prompting a lawsuit that led to the court-ordered access for Ash Wednesday.

The details

For months, religious leaders had been trying to provide pastoral care at the Broadview ICE facility, something they say they'd been granted access to do for years but in the months leading up to and since Operation Midway Blitz — the Trump administration's mass deportation in Chicago last fall and early winter — has been denied. In November, the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership, a Chicago-based Catholic advocacy group, filed a lawsuit against the federal government seeking resumed access to the facility. On Feb. 12, U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman issued a preliminary injunction allowing the coalition entry to the facility on Ash Wednesday to offer ashes and Holy Communion.

  • On Ash Wednesday, February 19, 2026, three local religious leaders were allowed into the Broadview ICE facility to provide pastoral care to detainees and staff.
  • In November 2025, the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership filed a lawsuit against the federal government seeking resumed access to the Broadview ICE facility.
  • On February 12, 2026, U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman issued a preliminary injunction allowing the coalition entry to the Broadview ICE facility on Ash Wednesday.

The players

Father Paul Keller

Provincial for the Claretian Missionaries, one of the religious leaders allowed into the Broadview ICE facility on Ash Wednesday.

Father Leandro Fossá

Pastor for Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Melrose Park, one of the religious leaders allowed into the Broadview ICE facility on Ash Wednesday.

Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership

A Chicago-based Catholic advocacy group that filed a lawsuit against the federal government seeking resumed access to the Broadview ICE facility.

U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman

The judge who issued a preliminary injunction allowing the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership entry to the Broadview ICE facility on Ash Wednesday.

Cardinal Blase Cupich

The head of the Chicago Archdiocese who presided over an outdoor Ash Wednesday mass in solidarity with immigrant families near the Broadview ICE facility.

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What they’re saying

“This is not a protest. This is not a symbolic action.”

— Father Paul Keller, Provincial for the Claretian Missionaries (Chicago Tribune)

“You saw the crying eyes, confusion, uncertainty. But also, you could see … they felt the hope of the moment, that they could see that the church was there with them.”

— Father Leandro Fossá, Pastor for Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Melrose Park (Chicago Tribune)

“Today, I am denied my right to express my faith, and no one from ICE will tell me, or is willing to explain to me, any compelling reason why.”

— Sister JoAnn Persch (Chicago Tribune)

“Religious freedom is a cornerstone of our democracy, and the right of incarcerated persons to pastoral care is recognized nationwide. We are grateful that the courts have acknowledged this reality.”

— Cardinal Blase Cupich, Head of the Chicago Archdiocese (Chicago Tribune)

What’s next

The judge in the case has set a status hearing for next week to discuss how religious ministry can continue at the Broadview ICE facility going forward.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies and the efforts of religious leaders to provide pastoral care and support to immigrant communities. The court's intervention to restore access for Ash Wednesday services underscores the importance of protecting religious freedom and the rights of incarcerated individuals to receive spiritual care.