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Rev. Michael Woolf: Faith Leader Detained While Protesting Immigration Policies
Photo by Jim Vondruska/Reuters
On Friday, November 14, 2025, Rev. Michael Woolf, minister at Lake Street Church of Evanston, was among 21 individuals arrested during a protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center in Broadview, Illinois. The demonstration, involving approximately 300 participants, aimed to oppose the Trump administration's intensified immigration enforcement under "Operation Midway Blitz," which has led to over 3,200 arrests in the Chicago area since September.
During the protest, demonstrators crossed a designated barrier around 10 a.m., leading to confrontations with law enforcement. Most of those arrested, aged between 23 and 67, face charges including obstruction, disorderly conduct, and walking on a highway; one individual is also charged with mob action. Four officers sustained non-life-threatening injuries while attempting to redirect protesters.
Rev. Woolf, who has been actively involved in protests against ICE, reported experiencing physical aggression during his arrest. He stated that officers threw him to the ground and placed him in plastic handcuffs. When he requested the cuffs be loosened due to numbness, an officer allegedly responded, "Nobody wants to talk to you — shut the f–k up." Woolf described the experience as dehumanizing and emphasized the spiritual urgency of addressing immigration enforcement practices.
The Broadview ICE facility has become a focal point for activists opposing federal immigration policies, especially in light of recent escalations in enforcement actions. Since September, protests have frequently resulted in clashes with authorities, including the use of tear gas and less-lethal munitions. In October, a federal judge limited some crowd-control tactics employed by ICE and Border Patrol in the city, including the deployment of tear gas without adequate warning.
As of now, there are no further updates on Rev. Woolf's legal situation following his arrest.
The prompt for this was: Rev. Michael Woolf, a faith leader and minister at Lake Street Church of Evanston, detained by Illinois State Police while protesting immigration policies outside the Broadview facility in Chicago. Photo by Jim Vondruska/Reuters
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