Federal agents fire pepper balls at protesters as buses transport people at Broadview ICE facility

BROWDVIEW, Ill. (WLS) -- Fewer protesters remained outside the ICE facility in Broadview Monday.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Early Monday morning, multiple vans could be seen coming in and out the Broadview Processing Center, as approximately a dozen protesters stood outside the facility.

This comes after days of clashes between demonstrators and federal agents.

READ MORE | Arrests made as protesters clash with ICE at Broadview facility, DHS says

Protesters have made their voices heard each time the gates of the detention facility open. And each time federal agents armed with paintball-style guns, have been firing pepper balls to get them off the driveway.

Tensions mostly rising when buses were seen transporting people out of Broadview's detention facility came back empty.

Christopher Gomez says his brother was relocated to a facility in Kenosha on Sunday night after being pulled over by ICE agents two days ago in Cicero.

"They were racially profiling and stopping vans,: Gomez said. "He signed the papers to be voluntarily deported. And I think that's the best situation at this moment."

Rogelio Huerta was protesting when he said he was arrested Saturday night after knocking on the windows of a vehicle going into the facility. He was cited with assaulting an officer.

"They dragged me all the way to the middle of the gate and then they took me inside," Huerta said. "They watered me down from the pepper spray. So, they had me wet on the floor for six hours. You could see dead centipedes, dead cockroaches."

Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the protesters "rioters" on Monday.

"So far, federal law enforcement arrested 16 rioters, including for assaulting law enforcement. These rioters endanger the safety of our brave law enforcement officers and the illegal aliens inside the facility," McLaughlin said.

Meanwhile Senator Dick Durbin called on the administration to allow lawmakers to inspect the conditions inside the detention facility.

"We do not live in a secret police state. We should know what Is happening to these individuals and whether they're being treated humanely. But we're been denied that opportunity twice but we'll keep asking," Durbin said.

One chaplain ABC7 spoke to says she believes some protesters are doing more harm than good as families try to get information about loved ones who are detained.

However, Ana Nikolic, with the International Chaplain Alliance, believes that some protesters are making it more difficult for families to get information from the Broadview Processing Center.

She said she's been there every day since Wednesday, trying to get an update on the status of someone who was detained for a family she's helping.

She was outside the facility on Friday when protesters blocked the entrance of the driveway and white smoke and pepper bullets were deployed to disperse the crowd.

"The big challenge with protesters attacking ICE is that they have closed the doors lawyers, closed the doors for families, closed the doors for ministers, for chaplains like me," Nikolic said. "Because if you're behind me, they are not going open the door....so when they see you're not with them, of course they will open the door and help you as much as they can."

Meanwhile, confusion remains about the future of the ICE facility in Broadview.

RELATED | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates

One source confirmed to the ABC7 I-team that DHS is looking to possibly stop using the Broadview facility and move to another location.

The Department of Homeland Security says in a statement, "Any allegations that ICE Broadview Processing Center is temporarily closing is FALSE... Secretary Noem's message to rioters is clear: you will not stop us or slow us down. ICE will continue to enforce the law."

The Department of Homeland Security said in the last three days, 16 protesters have been arrested outside the Broadview processing center, including for assaulting law enforcement.