CHICAGO – Five people who were detained recently by immigration officials in Illinois told a federal judge on Nov 4 that they experienced unsanitary conditions and little or no access to lawyers inside a suburban Chicago processing facility that has been the site of frequent protests.

Judge Robert W. Gettleman did not immediately rule on a request to impose restrictions on how federal officials manage that centre in Broadview, Illinois, which has seen a sharp uptick in activity as the Trump administration has carried out a crackdown on illegal immigration in the Chicago area. But Judge Gettleman voiced concern about “conditions that are unnecessarily cruel” and suggested that he would announce a decision on the afternoon of Nov 5.