CHICAGO — Protesters on Friday yelled “shame!” while banging drums as vehicles entered and exited the Broadview ICE facility, while state troopers in riot gear kept the street clear.

Some protesters had donned masks and about six had been arrested by 9:30 a.m.

Such demonstrations at the site have grown heated in recent weeks, with agents deploying baton rounds, tear gas and other other less-lethal ammunition at protesters. The conflict has led to handfuls of arrests of protesters, who numbered in the hundreds early Friday.

Before 7 a.m., a handful of protesters were back walking in a circle at the intersection of 25th Avenue and Harvard Street as a few Broadview police officers tried to keep the road clear for cars. Protesters jeered at both the cars headed into the facility and police at the intersection.

A flashing traffic sign designated the northern portion of Beach Street as a protest zone, with TV crews lined up outside.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was reportedly on hand, with TV news helicopters capturing images of her on the roof. U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino also was present.

Bovino participated in at least one arrest, personally grabbing the leg of one protester as agents pushed protesters back toward a protest zone. A small drone hovered above the heads of the agents as they continued to push people.

Noem’s appearance came after Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, called for accountability from her.

“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. They fail to focus on violent criminals and instead create panic in our communities,” the statement said. “Secretary Noem should no longer be able to step foot inside the State of Illinois without any form of public accountability. Last time when the secretary was here, she snuck in during the early morning to film social media videos and fled before sunrise. It’s been nearly 45 days since Secretary Noem has held an official press conference, so it’s time she faces the public and takes questions from the press to be held accountable for the Trump Administration’s gross misconduct.”

At the request of Broadview police, Illinois State Police and the Cook County sheriff’s office — with assistance from the state and county emergency management agencies — had established a “unified command” to address public safety concerns outside the holding facility, according to a news release from state police Thursday evening.

Officials set up designated areas “where people can safely exercise their rights,” according to state police. The areas stretch along either side of Beach Street down to Lexington Street with a safety lane in between to allow for emergency vehicle access, according to a state police map. There is also an additional designated “restricted area” along existing fencing outside the facility, the map shows.

Protesters booed Broadview public works trucks as they pulled up and blocked a sidewalk.

“Shame!,” protesters shouted.

Groups circled while carrying signs such as, “Immigrants make America Great.” Passing cars beeped, some jeering the protesters who shouted expletives back.

“America first!” a driver yelled.

People have periodically congregated at the building in the west suburb amid the federal government’s Operation Midway Blitz, which has brought a beefed-up immigration operation throughout the past month. Despite objections from the village of Broadview, the federal government erected a large metal fence building in the wake of continued protests.

Broadview officials have urged Department of Homeland Security officials to stop using tear gas and rubber bullets, arguing that the tactics are harming residents, protesters and first responders. They have also demanded that the government remove the fence, saying that it deters first responders from accessing the area in the event of an emergency.

Department of Homeland Security officials said agents have made around 800 arrests since the start of the operation around Sept. 8, though the agency has only released information about a small number of those arrests.

As the operation has unfolded, officials, community members and advocacy groups have condemned the methods of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. In what was ripped as a publicity stunt, dozens of federal immigration agents patrolled in downtown Chicago on Sunday afternoon, creating a stir as agents in camouflage uniforms marched around popular tourist destinations.

Agents have also made arrests in and outside of courthouses, despite those facilities historically being spared from immigration enforcement so that people can safely come to court.

Last month, an ICE agent fatally shot 38-year-old Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez after allegedly being dragged by his fleeing vehicle, spurring calls for a full and transparent investigation.

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(Tribune reporters Tess Kenny and Dan Petrella contributed to this story.)

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