Night watch.

• Author: Holliday, Darryl
• Position: Deportation of illegal immigrants in Broadview, Illinois

BY THE TIME THE SUN RISES, BUSES CARRYING UP TO 100 UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WILL PULL INTO THE BROADVIEW IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTER.

LATELY, SISTERS PAT MURPHY, 82, AND JOANN PERSCH, 77, HAVE BEEN WAKING UP AT 2:30 A.M. TO GET HERE * ON TIME.

We first came in January of 2007 and it really was a very strong call to us that we needed to be here every week.

So the two of us started coming every week.

** 1930 BEACH ST., BROADVIEW, IL

ACCORDING TO ICE *, AN ESTIMATED 550,000 UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WORK AND LIVE IN ILLINOIS.

* U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENROLLMENT (CHICAGO FIELD OFFICE)

AROUND 30,000 FROM THROUGHOUT THE MIDWEST HAVE BEEN PROCESSED AND DEPORTED FROM BROADVIEW IN THE 5 YEARS SINCE PAT AND JOANN BEGAN THEIR WEEKLY VIGIL.

We're moving people around like pawns on a chessboard--removing them from our country and their families.

SINCE 2007, PAT AND JOANN'S VIGIL AT THE BROADVIEW PROCESSING CENTER HAS GROWN TO INCLUDE INTERFAITH COMMUNITIES, FAMILIES OF DEPORTEES, UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS AND IMMIGRATION REFORM ACTIVISTS, AMONG OTHERS.

It's a very long story, but one thing led to another. Someone suggested we go to McHenry county jail in Woodstock, and they said no.

Then we started going to the [Cook County] courts.

We'd sit there and take notes so the judge and ICE people knew there were people who care.

So now we have a court watch...