US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Friday said that she and her staff were denied entry to the Village of Broadview Municipal Building, located about 12 miles west of downtown Chicago, while attempting to stop for a “bathroom break.“This incident occurred as federal agents clashed with protesters outside a nearby US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility, Fox News reported. In a post on X, Noem criticised Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s administration for its treatment of federal agents. “My team and I were just blocked from accessing the Village of Broadview Municipal Building in Illinois,” Noem stated. “We were stopping for a quick bathroom break. This is a public building. The Village of Broadview receives at least $1 million in federal funding every year. This is how JB Pritzker and his cronies treat our law enforcement. Absolutely shameful.”A video of the encounter shows Noem approaching the building with her staff as a person inside asks, “Can we use your restroom?” The response was, “No you cannot!” before Noem replied calmly, “OK, all right, thank you,” and walked away. Village of Broadview officials reported that Noem arrived unannounced on Friday morning seeking a meeting with Mayor Katrina Thompson, who was unavailable at the time. “Since DHS Secretary Kristi Noem appeared this morning, unannounced, at Broadview’s Village Hall asking for a meeting while Mayor Katrina Thompson was out of the building, the mayor returned her visit,” Village of Broadview spokesperson David Ormsby said. “Mayor Thompson went to the ICE centre, accompanied by the Broadview Police Chief Thomas, and officers, to ask for the illegal fence to be dismantled. The mayor was told by agents at the gate the secretary was unavailable to meet.” DHS officials clarified that the stop was solely for a restroom break. “She didn’t ask for a meeting. She asked to use the restroom. This is insane,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News. The bathroom dispute coincided with heightened tensions outside the ICE facility in Broadview, where over a dozen individuals were arrested during demonstrations. Fox News reported that agents used pepper balls, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse crowds obstructing federal operations.
