Pope greets activists supporting migrants at Chicago’s ICE detention center

By Salvatore Cernuzio

“I told him that every time I visit Broadview, I encounter Jesus and His Passion… Forgive me, but I’m very emotional right now.”

Abigail Ortiz Valles could not hide her emotion as she briefly recounted her meeting with Pope Leo XIV on October 28, in St. Peter’s Square.

A Mexican migrant and Scalabrinian laywoman, she had traveled from Chicago to Rome to attend the General Audience alongside some thirty other members of the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL), including priests, deacons, students, and Catholic leaders.

In the service of justice

In the Pope’s hometown, the movement seeks to be a “force” in the service of justice. In practice, this means providing daily support and assistance to hundreds of migrants from Central and South America living in Chicago’s suburbs amid profound uncertainty and vulnerability, offering prayer, pastoral care, and companionship.

At the heart of the Coalition’s mission, however, is its work among detainees at Broadview, a facility run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The agency, which falls under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has been at the center of controversy and accusations over its methods.

Defending the rights of “mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and workers from our communities who are being torn away from their families and their lives” is CSPL’s principal objective.

After initial obstacles and delays in gaining access, the Coalition received temporary authorization to enter the federal facility, 15 kilometers from downtown Chicago, each day. Since May 2026, it has conducted more than 135 visits to 725 detained immigrants.

Album of photographs and letters for the Pope

Wearing yellow T-shirts bearing an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and carrying a banner reading “The Church… needs your holy rebellion,” the group arrived in St. Peter’s Square early in the morning.

They waited for the greetings at the end of the audience to shake Pope Leo’s hand and present him with a gift: photographs of CSPL initiatives and celebrations, together with letters from migrants addressed directly to the Pope.

The letters share “their life experiences and how, despite countless difficulties, they keep going thanks to the hope of a better future, the help of Our Lord, and the work of movements like this one, which also have the support of our Metropolitan Archbishop, Cardinal Blase Cupich.”

Bishop José María García Maldonado, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, explained this to Vatican News on the sidelines of the General Audience.

He described the Coalition as “a force within the Church in the service of goodness and justice, working above all to defend the rights of migrants who find themselves in very difficult situations.”

‘Thank you for your guidance’

According to those present, the Pope seemed moved by the gifts. He greeted everyone and joined the group for a photograph.

Tiffany Swann-Covington, of Our Lady of Africa Parish and Loyola University Chicago, spoke to thank the Pope “for your statements emphasizing the importance of pastoral care for our brothers and sisters detained at Broadview.”

“You have inspired us and countless Bishops to carry on this work across the country,” she said. “Please continue to pray for us and encourage us through your words and your guidance.”