|
‘We could hear them laughing’
Wednesday, Oct 8, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
* More…
* Sun-Times | Feds dropping charges against couple who lawfully carried guns outside ICE facility: The move comes after a grand jury refused to hand up an indictment in the case, a defense attorney told the Chicago Sun-Times. Richard Kling cited the old expression that a good prosecutor could convince a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich. “Apparently they had less evidence than a ham sandwich,” said Kling, who represents Ray Collins. * Tribune | Charges dropped against couple in Broadview immigration protest after federal grand jury refuses to indict: Although Havey said the charges were being dismissed “without prejudice,” meaning prosecutors could seek to refile the case within 30 days, Kling said he highly doubted that would happen, noting the standard to get an indictment was very low. “If they couldn’t get a grand jury to indict, how are they going to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury?” he said. * ABC Chicago | Decision on lawsuit over Broadview ICE detention center fencing will be made by Thursday: judge: The north side entrance of the facility remains blocked by tall fences. Attorneys for the federal government argued in court the fencing across Beach Street was needed to conduct business and to protect vehicles and personnel, after conflicts erupted during protests of ICE action during “Operation Midway Blitz.” * News Nation | Feds use ‘violent force’ on protesters, press, clergy at Broadview ICE facility: ACLU suit: The ACLU filed the suit jointly with a coalition of news outlets, media associations and protesters, including the Illinois Press Association, Block Club Chicago and the Chicago Headline Club. In it, they say federal agents used “indiscriminate” force and interfered with First Amendment rights, including freedoms of speech and the press. “Never in modern times has the federal government undermined bedrock constitutional protections on this scale, or usurped states’ police power by directing federal agents to carry out an illegal mission against the people for the government’s own benefit,” the scathing suit read.
|
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 8:45 am:
When those in power have given these agents the power to do anything that they want without fear of consequences this is what happens. They know they can treat people as subhuman so that’s exactly what they are doing. It’s despicable and shows how far we hsve fallen as a country since Trump has gotten info office.
- low level - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 8:54 am:
Real tough guys, targeting a minister while praying. ICE is now the biggest gang in Chicago.
- DuPage Dad - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 8:57 am:
The cruelty is the point.
- 40,000 ft - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 9:11 am:
The story about Rev Black feels spiritually abusive to me.
Don’t forget what Billy Strings said, “if your hairs’s too long, there’s sin in your heart.”
Somebody said something about logs in our eyes, too.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 9:22 am:
What a shocker that Trump’s personal prosecutorial team I mean the DOJ had to drop the “charges” they were going to file against the concealed carry couple protesting in Broadview for…for what? For making ICE agents feel scared? Pathetic display all around by the federal government and all the fake 2A acolytes.
- low level - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 9:28 am:
==The story about Rev Black feels spiritually abusive to me.==
How so?
- clec dcn - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 9:32 am:
As cleric I would not have done what Rev Black did but he might have felt a moved by the Lord. Alter calls in this situation seem inappropriate but I don’t condemn at all.
- DarkestBeforeDawn - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 9:37 am:
I’ve been to Rev. Black’s church. He is a true faith leader in every sense of the word.
==spiritually abusive== is right. No hate like christofascist love.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 9:48 am:
News Nation covers a story with detail including about the Rev. attacked. Surprising.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 9:51 am:
“Somebody said something about logs in our eyes, too.”
How many felonies does the president have? What did he do in January 2021 and how many did he pardon?
Why do his supporters excuse that while claiming to be for law and order? Or claiming to be for small government and states’ rights?
- lloyd - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 9:55 am:
I wonder how long it will take for Collins to get their surrendered FOID and CCW license returned to them. Was it just a surrendering of the physical card or does the surrender order trigger something within the ISPFSB system? Whichever way, I hope it gets restored promptly.
- I-55 Fanatic - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 9:59 am:
“Somebody said something about logs in our eyes, too.”
Are you implying that Rev. Black and the people with him aren’t in a position to invite ICE agents to repentance, and therefore ICE’s response is somehow softened or justified? I don’t see how that matters at all in this situation. We’re talking about agents of the state firing pepper balls at harmless demonstrators. I don’t care if Rev. Black was insulting their mothers and praying for Zeus to smite them… they shouldn’t be able to respond that way, in that situation, with impunity. This isn’t how we govern ourselves in this country.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 10:01 am:
The secret police playing like they’re at a local paintball course. Shameful show of cruelty and indecency.
- Blue Dog - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 10:51 am:
In the 70’s I was witness to some horrific treatment of our returning servicemen. I said it then and it’s worth repeating. The enlisted folks aren’t the problem.
- walker - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 11:02 am:
Blue Dog
Mostly true — but I’ve seen some out-of-control ICE/Border agents act in ways a proper copper or Army troop normally wouldn’t — due to poor training and bad leadership.
- Crispy - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 11:03 am:
Just got a call from a relative who lives in Avondale (Northwest Side of Chicago). Great neighborhood. This relative reports that they heard helicopters overhead this morning and whistles blowing (local activists’ warnings)–all of it so, per local media, the immigration folks could “detain” some poor schlub at an ice cream parlor down the street.
This is not law-enforcement of any discernible kind; it’s deliberate, state-sponsored terrorism.
And less important than the destruction of the rule of law and civil liberties, but still galling, is the massive waste of taxpayer resources. How many millions have they blown with their soldier cosplay, rappelling down from helicopters so they can torment hapless retail workers on what should be an ordinary day in the city?
I don’t think there are even enough banned words to describe how outrageous and completely uncalled-for this all is.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 11:16 am:
“In the 70’s I was witness to some horrific treatment of our returning servicemen.”
No you weren’t. This stuff has been roundly disproven. I’m not even sure what you think you get out of making stuff up about the way Vietnam vets were treated. All the Vietnam vets in my family died before they were 45, that’s enough. I don’t need to make up fake sob stories about the meanie liberals back home spitting on them.
- West Side the Best Side - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 11:34 am:
Perfect Onion headline - Feds Unable to Indict Ham Sandwich.(Hat tip to Richard Kling.)
- 40,000 ft - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 11:45 am:
“ it’s deliberate, state-sponsored terrorism. And less important than the destruction of the rule of law and civil liberties, but still galling, is the massive waste of taxpayer resources. “
The truth is some where in the middle; the door swings both ways.
I argue that it was state-sponsored terrorism to allow actual terrorists across the border, Jan 2021-Jan 2025. (widely documented)
I know I changed a few security things knowing my government didn’t care.
The rule of law has been flagrantly being violated by those ignoring immigration law. I try to follow laws and pay taxes cheerfully. Not sure how all this cherry-picking of which laws have to be followed is so popular.
The loss of civil liberties is real for those being harmed, and doing without, due to reallocation of Illinois’ resources to welcome the non citizens. Real tragedies are occurring.
And the waste of taxpayer resources, while there are embarrassing conditions in our poorer neighborhoods, like schools having lead pipes, is a massive waste.
I try to be circumspective, what if everybody is partially correct?
Maybe the answer is to just follow the laws on the books, and use Illinois resources for Illinois residents to improve quality of life, health, and opportunities.
- levivoted4judy - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 11:50 am:
I first heard of this condition when I worked a lot with recently discharged Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. It’s called “moral injury” where you have been ordered to do something that violates your personal moral code. I’m sure some (maybe many) of these ICE agents enjoy this, but some are going to have moral injury that can last for years. This is truly a situation where the cure is worse than the supposed disease.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 12:06 pm:
“I try to be circumspective, what if everybody is partially correct?”
Here’s your brownie points. Are you auditioning for CNN?
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 12:09 pm:
==what if everybody is partially correct?==
If you believe that anything this President is doing in this situation is correct then it’s just further proof for me that we have citizens in this country who do not respect the Constitution when they are willing to give deference to the dictatorial actions that are increasingly taking place. There is nothing “right” about what is happening.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 12:09 pm:
=I try to be circumspective=
All evidence to the contrary.
- Blue Dog - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 12:16 pm:
Larry Bowa. sorry to hear of all your deceased veteran friends. Indeed I too have lost many friends. but I can personally attest to ridicule and shame on the U of I campus.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 12:17 pm:
Try to stay on topic. Not sure how a war that ended 50 years ago became part of this, but it’s irrelevant to the discussion.
- low level - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 1:05 pm:
==I try to be circumspective, what if everybody is partially correct?==
Most of what you have said is pure nonsense, and this is the best example. Arresting poor, unarmed women and children is wrong. And these are the people they are going after, not hardened criminals, probably because it takes real men and planning to do that and they are found lacking on both counts.
- Suburban Mom - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 1:22 pm:
===The truth is some where in the middle; the door swings both ways.===
It is absolutely fascinating to me how many people turn out to have zero actual moral code and just want to feel comfortably “in the middle” of any disputes, appeasing and justifying actions that are demonstrably evil and immoral. Not illegal, or questions of policy on which reasonable people can disagree, or questions of enforcement priorities: actually evil.
If your moral code is so broken that its highest value is “the truth is in the middle” and “what if everybody is partially correct?,” well, welcome to Vichy Illinois, I guess.
Truth is not determined by majority vote, as Pope Benedict XVI famously said. It’s not “in the middle” it’s not “somewhere between.” Truth is truth, and you have lost your ability to discern moral truth out of your concern for appearing moderate and reasonable. Do better.
- Peters Piece - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 2:02 pm:
I have worked professionally with veterans for a number of years. I am familiar with the phenomenon of moral injury. It can arise when one kills another and or causes serious harm to another. I have been giving a lot of thought to the likely consequences of all these current violent actions. Moral injury can arise months to decades after the hostility. Many of these agents, police, troops will suffer lasting persistent psychological damage as a result of their actions ordered, to do so or not. This is not to suggest lack of culpability nor personal responsibility. They will likely not receive treatment and support or even have an explanation for dysfunctional thoughts, feelings and behavior. They will carry this psychological poison back to their community. Society loses all around.
- low level - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 2:33 pm:
Suburban Mom and Peters Piece, thank you very much for your comments. You have given me a lot to think about. Much appreciated.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 4:23 pm:
==what if everybody is partially correct?==
How were they “partially right” to shoot this guy in the head with pepper balls? Was he partially a threat? Were his words so mean they had to shoot him from the roof?
Spoiler alert: they were entirely wrong. Any honest objective person can see there are no two sides or partial truths to the video which started this thread. They were using their god-given 1st amendment rights to peacefully express their beliefs.
- Blue Dog - Wednesday, Oct 8, 25 @ 5:12 pm:
Rich. sorry distracted. my point being is sometimes we blame the soldier but it’s the politicians who should feel threatened wrath.
- someguy - Thursday, Oct 9, 25 @ 7:00 am:
This remains utter nonsense:
“Rich. sorry distracted. my point being is sometimes we blame the soldier but it’s the politicians who should feel threatened wrath”
You can’t simply just wave away what these goofs are doing.