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Felipe Z.: Wheeling Amazon driver held in overcrowded Broadview ICE cell with overflowing toilet

Felipe Agustin Zamacona, 47, a Mexican immigrant and Amazon driver who has lived in the U.S. for decades, testified he had to sleep by an overflowing toilet at the Broadview facility and that the water tasted like sewer.

Aug 11, 2025Wheeling, IL

Felipe Z.: Wheeling Amazon driver held in overcrowded Broadview ICE cell with overflowing toilet
Photo via The City

Felipe Agustin Zamacona, 47, an Amazon driver and Mexican immigrant who has lived in the U.S. for decades, was arrested in Wheeling and detained at the Broadview ICE facility in overcrowded conditions. He testified in federal court that he had to take the spot of another detainee who got up to use an overflowing toilet, and that sink water "tasted like sewer." His testimony came as part of a class-action lawsuit seeking to improve conditions at the facility, and U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman called the described conditions "disgusting" and said sleeping next to an overflowing toilet was "obviously unconstitutional." A Justice Department attorney acknowledged the facility has no beds but said conditions have improved in recent months.

“I don’t want anyone else to live what I lived through.”
— Felipe Agustin Zamacona
“It was just really bad. … It was just too much,”
— Pablo Moreno Gonzalez
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