“Storm the Halls”: Bomb and Death Threats Force Chicago-Area Mayor to Declare Civil Emergency

Mayor Katrina Thompson of Broadview, Illinois, declared a “civil emergency” Monday, citing “serious and credible bomb and death threats” that have escalated into warnings of attempts to violently disrupt village government. The declaration comes after out-of-town protesters, following unrest at a federal immigration processing center in Broadview, threatened to storm Village Hall and “shut down” a local board meeting. “I will not allow threats of violence or intimidation to disrupt the essential functions of our government,” Thompson stated, moving the scheduled meeting online as the FBI investigates multiple threats against the mayor and her staff.

The emergency order follows a series of escalating incidents, including a September bomb threat targeting Village Hall and an October death threat directed at Mayor Thompson. The situation intensified dramatically on Friday when a group of non-resident protesters tried to storm the building and vowed to disrupt the upcoming meeting. That same day, tensions boiled over during protests near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, resulting in 21 arrests and injuries to two Broadview police officers, a state trooper, and a sheriff’s deputy.

In response, the emergency declaration grants Mayor Thompson the authority to move public meetings online and enact security measures without board approval to ensure “the continuity of governance.” This action is the latest development in growing local tensions, which escalated after Thompson signed an executive order last month restricting demonstration times and locations near the ICE facility—a move civil-liberties groups have criticized. The civil emergency will remain in effect until the mayor determines the threats to officials and public property have subsided.