Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Thursday, Sep 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Northwestern University President Michael Schill will resign after a three-year tenure, including five months of an unprecedented $790 million federal funding freeze, the school announced Thursday.

Northwestern was never formally notified of the pause of research funds in April, which came amid several federal investigations into allegations of antisemitism.

The school, along with Schill, had already been subject to significant Republican scrutiny. The president was grilled for hours before a congressional committee in 2024 on the environment on campus for Jewish students. […]

In a message to the Northwestern community Thursday morning, Schill acknowledged the “difficult problems” at the federal level. He said he would remain in the role until the naming of an interim president.

* The US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division is asking to take part in oral arguments against Illinois’ assault weapons ban…

FPC LEGAL UPDATE: Following its amicus brief in support of us, the federal government has asked the Seventh Circuit for approval to participate in oral arguments in our lawsuit challenging Illinois' "assault weapon" and magazine bans: https://t.co/8OEtH2Xqsx pic.twitter.com/WKmIHNiKhK

— Firearms Policy Coalition (@gunpolicy) September 3, 2025

* WGLT…

State Farm has informed employees of a new voluntary exit program.

In an email obtained by WGLT, the Bloomington-based insurer says “if and when” changes are needed, the company will start with voluntary staff reductions whenever possible, but did not rule out the possibility of layoffs.

A State Farm spokesperson said the move is intended to give employees more choice when business areas need to make staffing adjustments. […]

The company is not saying when staff changes may be coming and how many jobs could be eliminated.

* New York Times…

The list price for new tractors rose at least 60 percent over the last eight years, according to the University of Illinois Extension, with some models more than doubling in price, costing at least $250,000 more than they used to.

That’s bad news for companies like John Deere, the leading supplier of agricultural machinery in the United States. The company reported a record profit two years ago, but President Trump’s tariffs and trade policies are making the market more challenging and unpredictable for the business and its customers.

One of the country’s largest manufacturers is worse off now than it was six months ago. Last month, John Deere said net income in its most recent quarter was down 29 percent from a year earlier. Higher tariffs, primarily on steel but also on aluminum, have cost the company $300 million so far, with nearly another $300 million expected by the end of the year. This summer the company laid off 238 employees across factories in Illinois and Iowa.

* Mexican Independence Day parade organizers have said they’ll be taking additional precautions this weekend amid the threat of immigration raids. Governor JB Pritzker…

Gov. JB Pritzker's response today on if people should celebrate:

“I’m telling people to know your rights, be extra careful, and know that there is the possibility that ICE will be on the ground and causing some mayhem. Don't play into their hand.” https://t.co/V2KUkRRS9U

— Ben Szalinski (@BenSzalinski) September 4, 2025

*** Statehouse News ***

* Daily Herald | Rojo drops out of House 52nd Dem race, endorses Chan Ding: Jesse Rojo, U.S. Army veteran and policy advocate, announced Wednesday he’s exiting the Democratic primary race for state Rep. Martin McLaughlin’s 52nd District seat, endorsing recently reelected Barrington Area Unit District 220 school board member Erin Chan Ding. Rojo’s withdrawal leaves Chan Ding and Maria Peterson, vice chair of the Lake County Zoning Board of Appeals, as the two remaining Democratic candidates. “The decision to end my campaign was not an easy one,” said Rojo, who recently ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Barrington village board. “I came to realize that now is simply not the right time for me to run. My focus must remain on my professional obligations and, most importantly, on my family.”

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Immigration crackdown deals a blow to Chicago’s Latino business corridors: Since President Donald Trump started his second term in January, his immigration enforcement orders have been a different story. They have contributed to a grim first: The store’s sales are down 20% this year, says Mike Moreno Jr., 34, who runs the business with his parents. “It was said, and we said, the liquor industry was recession-proof,” Moreno says. But this is a perfect storm, he adds, citing concerns over high-profile immigration enforcement, inflation, tariffs and worries that a recession looms.

* Tribune | Facing fiscal cliff, CTA will hold September town halls on budget: During the town halls, the CTA said, agency leaders will discuss the funding situation and CTA riders will have the opportunity to weigh in. The CTA said it would release its budget plans next month. The Chicago region’s transit agencies face a budget deficit in the hundreds of millions of dollars next year as federal pandemic aid runs out. The CTA was previously expected to run out of money some months before Metra and suburban bus agency Pace.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Youth prison worker accused of sexually-oriented official misconduct: A worker at the state youth detention center in St. Charles has been accused of official misconduct over allegations she had sexually-oriented interactions with a teenage detainee. Bryana E. Phelan, 31, of the 1500 block of West 80th Street in Chicago, faces 15 felony counts, according to a news release from the Kane County state’s attorney’s office. […] The complaint accuses Phelan of having multiple phone conversations with a 17-year-old boy and driving him around the facility in a state vehicle for personal reasons.

* Aurora Beacon News | Aurora fiber network nearly $1 million in debt, Mayor John Laesch says: During a presentation at a City Council Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday, Laesch said the organization is currently operating at a $27,000 monthly deficit and has the resources to make it roughly to the end of the month. He has replaced the organization’s executive director, Charles Baker, with a volunteer as a cost-saving measure, and has made other cuts, he said at the meeting. Baker told The Beacon-News that he believes his firing was unlawful and unjust. He and other former leadership at OnLight Aurora say this is an overreach by Laesch, and that he is doing this to go after those associated with the previous administration, which the current mayor has heavily criticized.

*** Downstate ***

* NPR Illinois | SIU Carbondale enrollment holds steady while Edwardsville campus sees an increase: SIU Carbondale reports overall enrollment on the 10th day of class for fall 2025 remained nearly flat at 11,785 – only five fewer students than last year – which saw a record percentage enrollment growth. This figure reflects increases among several demographics, including new students from the Southern Illinois region (6%), new students from states bordering Illinois (16%) and online students (23% growth overall, 161% in graduate programs).

* STL PR | Bucking national trend, SIUE reports increased fall semester enrollment: A total of 12,813 students are enrolled at SIUE, which accounts for a 7.7% increase since last fall, according to university figures released on Wednesday. “The numbers tell us that the value proposition of a high quality, affordable college degree still has meaning for students,” said SIUE Chancellor James Minor in a statement. “We now have the extraordinary opportunity to serve them.”

* WCIA | ADM worker files lawsuit, claims company responsible for 2023 explosion: Just weeks before the two-year anniversary of the event, Ogilvie and Shay filed suit against ADM, saying the company had ignored federal safety regulations concerning hazardous materials, leading to the blast. […] “ADM used hexane gas in a device called an extractor, located within the East Plant, to process flaked soybeans into a mixture of oil and hexane called miscella,” Williams wrote. “On the date of the explosion, ADM then conducted further processes to recapture most of the hexane from the miscella mixture in order to reuse said hexane gas in its cyclical soybean oil extraction process.”

* WCIA | Champaign church changing security policies: Some Catholic churches in Central Illinois are changing their security policies after a shooting at a school mass in Minneapolis last week killed two children and hurt 21 others. St. Matthew’s Roman Catholic Church in Champaign is locking its doors during weekend mass services, after already locking school mass doors for years. “I said you know what, you don’t know when it’s going to be your turn,” Pastor Father John Zilimu said.

* PJ Star | Constant crisis or signs of hope? Longtime Peoria nonprofit PCCEO at a crossroads: Denise Moore had been warned during her interview to be the next CEO of the Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity that the state of the nonprofit was bad. The reality of the organization, as she said she would quickly come to learn, was “so much worse.” Moore resigned from her role as CEO of the PCCEO on Aug. 26, citing a family health crisis and disfunction at the longtime Peoria agency. She spoke with the Journal Star and offered perhaps the deepest account yet of the steep troubles plaguing an organization that has spent multiple years in a state of disarray.

* WCIA | Champaign’s Black Dog donates food to soup kitchen after fire: As the restaurant moved food they already prepared to their Urbana location, they decided to donate the rest to the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, where it made a big difference. “All of our main entree today, is from Black Dog. And if that goes all the way and we think it will, it will feed somewhere up in excess of 400 people,” soup kitchen cook Tom Scott said.

*** National ***

* Bloomberg | Trump Sued Over Washington National Guard Troop Deployment: The city contends that the mobilization of more than 2,200 troops since mid-August violates US laws meant to bar the US military from carrying out domestic law enforcement activities — a dynamic that DC officials described as an involuntary occupation. The lawsuit, filed in federal court on Thursday, also alleges Trump illegally called in National Guard units from other states.

* Frank Cerabino | DeSantis betrayed Florida’s chemtrail conspiracy theorists by feeding into it: Twisting the benign common appearance of water vapor trails from aircraft into a nefarious weather modification plot used to be the sole province of America’s fringiest crackpots. People such as Alex Jones at Infowars have been claiming for years that Americans are under air attack from secret forces who poison the skies. Now, those fringe views have taken center stage in Florida, thanks to Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-led legislature.

* NBC | In rare interviews, federal judges criticize Supreme Court’s handling of Trump cases: Some judges believe the Supreme Court, and in particular Chief Justice John Roberts, could be doing more to defend the integrity of their work as President Donald Trump and his allies harshly criticize those who rule against him and as violent threats against judges are on the rise. […] Ten of the 12 judges who spoke to NBC News said the Supreme Court should better explain those rulings, noting that the terse decisions leave lower court judges with little guidance for how to proceed. But they also have a new and concerning effect, the judges said, validating the Trump administration’s criticisms. A short rebuttal from the Supreme Court, they argue, makes it seem like they did shoddy work and are biased against Trump.

* The Guardian | Texas bill allowing residents to sue out-of-state abortion pill providers reaches governor: If the measure becomes law, it is nearly certain to spark legal challenges from abortion rights supporters. Under the measure, Texas residents could sue those who manufacture, transport or provide abortion-inducing drugs to anyone in Texas for up to $100,000. Women who receive the pills for their own use would not be liable. Under the bill, providers could be ordered to pay $100,000. But only the pregnant woman, the man who impregnated her or other close relatives could collect the entire amount. Anyone else who sued could receive only $10,000, with the remaining $90,000 going to charity.

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Madigan files appeal in bid to remain out of prison

Thursday, Sep 4, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sun-Times federal courts reporter…

Legal experts told me this summer that Madigan's chances of remaining free are slim — but his odds are at least better with the 7th Circuit than with Judge Blakey: https://t.co/s5XP0HBoAi https://t.co/CiTqYUlFRt

— Jon Seidel (@SeidelContent) September 4, 2025

* From Madigan’s appeal…

Defendant-Appellant Michael Madigan, former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, respectfully moves under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 9(b) and 18 U.S.C. § 3143(b) to stay his October 13, 2025 surrender date and for release pending appeal. It is undisputed that Madigan, who is 83 years old, will not flee and poses no danger and that his appeal is not for delay. The only question, then, is whether Madigan’s appeal will raise “substantial” questions likely to result in reversal or a new trial if decided in his favor. It will.

Few areas of law are as complex and rapidly evolving in defendants’ favor as federal bribery law, and the Supreme Court has repeatedly rejected prosecutors’ aggressive applications of bribery statutes. See Snyder v. United States, 603 U.S. 1 (2024); Percoco v. United States, 598 U.S. 319 (2023); McDonnell v. United States, 579 U.S. 550 (2016); Skilling v. United States, 561 U.S. 358 (2010). Madigan’s prosecution involves substantial questions regarding how far these statutes can be stretched—questions this Court has not considered in the wake of these Supreme Court decisions, making this a quintessential case for release pending appeal.

In a sprawling 23-count indictment, the government shoehorned nearly a decade of conduct into alleged corruption schemes. The jury returned a mixed verdict, declining to convict on more than half of the counts. Madigan’s convictions, involving two “schemes,” rest on significant instructional issues and failures of proof that present substantial questions.

First, the government alleged that Madigan conspired to secure work for political associates from a utility company, ComEd, supposedly in connection with official action on legislation of interest to ComEd. The government charged this scheme under 18 U.S.C. § 666, at a time when the statute had been construed to permit prosecution for gratuities, presumably because the government could not prove bribery’s quid pro quo requirement. While this case was pending, the Supreme Court in Snyder limited § 666 to quid pro quo bribery. Instead of dismissing its charges, the government pivoted at trial to a nebulous “stream-of-benefits” theory that disclaimed the need to tie the alleged quids and quos together. The district court facilitated that misguided pivot by declining to instruct the jury that it must find that, at the time of the alleged bribe, Madigan agreed to be influenced on a specific question or matter. Every circuit to consider the stream-of-benefits theory post-McDonnell has found this limitation necessary.

The district court additionally erred in refusing to instruct the jury that the “corruptly” mens rea for § 666 requires consciousness of wrongdoing even though this Court defined “corruptly” that way on remand in Snyder, 2024 WL 4834037, at *2 (7th Cir. Nov. 20, 2024), and the government accepted that definition below. The district court further erred by instructing that an official acts corruptly if he knows the bribe-giver intends a bribe, contradicting the statute’s requirement that the official himself must intend to be influenced— an error the Second Circuit has expressly recognized. In denying release, the district court declared that the Second Circuit was wrong.

Second, the government claimed that Madigan committed traditional wire fraud and/or honest-services wire fraud by agreeing to recommend a former alderperson for a state board position in exchange for business referrals. But the government failed to prove that Madigan agreed to an exchange or made the recommendation. Nor did it prove that any such recommendation would have included a false statement or would have involved “pressure” or “advice” (and not just “expressing support”) had it occurred. The court also injected instructional error into the fraud counts in response to a jury note.

Finally, for both alleged schemes, the government charged Travel Act violations predicated on state bribery statutes lacking a quid pro quo element. But, as the Ninth Circuit recently held, state bribery statutes lacking a quid pro quo element are invalid Travel Act predicates. The district court below declared that the Ninth Circuit too was wrong.

The district court’s order denying release is manifestly erroneous. Even when the court reached conclusions admittedly at odds with those of other circuits, it refused to acknowledge the substantiality of the questions. Under the court’s standard, no defendant could obtain release pending appeal unless the error arguably violated binding precedent. If that were the test, release would almost never be granted. But in complex fraud and corruption cases like this one, courts routinely grant release. 1 Upon de novo review, this Court should grant release pending appeal and stay Madigan’s surrender date until it decides this motion.

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What Illinois Can Learn From Texas On Battery Energy Storage

Thursday, Sep 4, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

As Illinois confronts skyrocketing electric bills, legislators are on the hunt for solutions that provide relief as quickly as possible. Battery energy storage is our best and most cost-effective solution.

But last session— without evidence —opponents attempted to claim that battery energy storage wouldn’t work. Try telling that to Texas, where the rapid deployment of battery storage has already prevented blackouts and saved consumers billions.

Called “Ground Zero for the US Battery Boom” by Bloomberg, Texas added enough storage in 2023 to power 3 million homes and drop grid emergency risk during peak hours from 16% to less than 1%. The result? Storage saved consumers an estimated $750 billion in 2024.

Texas has proven that storage is the quickest, cheapest, most reliable way to get consumers relief from skyrocketing, demand-induced price spikes. Storage is a nimble way to address growing populations, power-hungry data centers, and meet other electrification-related power needs. These are benefits Texas saw from storage even as the state reduced its gas generation capacity by 166 MW last year.

Illinois lawmakers should follow Texas’s lead and pass SB40 this fall to deploy 6GW of energy storage by 2035. Click here for more information.

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Caption contest!

Thursday, Sep 4, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Sun-Times accidentally posted a link to my newspaper column this morning on its homepage under the name and photo of Sen. Lakesia Collins…

I laughed so hard. And Sen. Collins got a kick out of it, too. I told her I hope she wins a Pulitzker Prize.

…Adding… They just fixed it.

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Competition Works: Lower Bills. Reliable Power. Say NO To Right Of First Refusal

Thursday, Sep 4, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Illinois families are sweating through heat and higher electricity bills this summer. Across the Midwest, some relief from energy inflation is in the forecast. Thanks to competitive bidding, dramatically lower costs have resulted compared to no-bid Right of First Refusal (ROFR) proposals.

Here’s the proof:

$87 Million Saved

Fairport to Denny Transmission Line (MISO – Missouri)

• Competitive bidding cut MISO’s initial estimate from $161 million to just $74 million – saving Missouri Customers millions!

$6 Million Saved

Reid EHV to IN/KY Border Transmission Project (MISO)

$14 Million Saved

Matheson–Redbud Transmission Line (SPP – Oklahoma)

In many cases, incumbent utilities won these bids, proving that when they compete with other qualified builders, consumers win. It saves money and drives better results.

Competition Works.

Legislators should choose competition and protect Illinois families.

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Catching up with the congressionals (Updated)

Thursday, Sep 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Politico…

More than a decade after narrowly losing her suburban Chicago seat in the Tea Party wave of 2010, former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean is considering a return to Congress in the 8th District seat now held by Raja Krishnamoorthi, who’s running for Senate.

Bean, a Democrat, is expected to make a decision “in the next week or two,” according to a person familiar with her plans. Her entry into the race would reshape an already crowded Democratic primary.
Bean has been eyeing a return to politics since President Donald Trump’s administration has focused on unraveling the work she accomplished on the Affordable Care Act.

Bean first won Illinois’ 8th Congressional District in 2004, defeating Republican stalwart Phil Crane. Her victory was a signal of the Democratic Party’s growing viability in suburban districts that had been GOP strongholds for decades.

* NBC Chicago…

NBC 5 Investigates has learned the Trump administration plans to reassign more than 600 military attorneys to temporarily serve as immigration judges. […]

“Trump is doing something very dangerous here. He is attempting to take over a part of the court system,” said Dan Tully, a U.S. Army Reserve judge advocate who spoke to NBC 5 Investigates Wednesday.

Tully is one of nine Democrats in a field of 10 candidates that includes one Republican vying to become Illinois’ next 8th District Congressman, replacing incumbent Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi who is running for U.S. Senate.

His argument against this move by the Trump administration is that assigns military legal officers who normally handle military misconduct cases to now act as immigration judges. He says that flies in the face of what they signed up to do and distracts from there already important role.

* More from the 8th Congressional District…

Sanjyot Dunung, Congressional candidate for Illinois 8th District, received the endorsement of Vote Common Good, a leading national organization mobilizing faith-driven voters toward candidates who prioritize the common good. This endorsement, in addition to the recent ASPIRE (Asian Congressional Caucus of all 20 members) endorsement, marks a significant moment for Dunung’s campaign as it continues to gain momentum among voters seeking commonsense solutions, responsible change, and shared common values.

Said Robb Ryerse, political director of Vote Common Good, “Sanjyot is precisely the kind of leader our movement seeks to uplift. Her commitment to people, her passion for community service, and her vision for an America where all voices are heard align perfectly with our mission. We believe she will champion policies that serve not only Illinois’ 8th District, but the common good of all Americans.”

Vote Common Good, known for its commitment to inspiring people of faith and conscience to push beyond partisan divides, selected Dunung after a thorough review of her campaign priorities, community engagement, and vision for 21st-century governance. The organization’s endorsement process is rooted in principles of justice, empathy, and service, aiming to spotlight candidates who are committed to “loving your neighbor through your vote.”

* Sen. Willie Preston’s congressional campaign…

Black grassroots anti-crime leaders and elected officials from Chicago’s South Side and their supporters are scheduled to gather at NOON THURSDAY at Ryan Harris Park - named for a victim of brutal street crime - for a rally to urge President Trump to choose investment over the imminent invasion of their city.

The speakers will include 2nd District Congressional Candidate and Illinois State Senator Willile Preston; Mark Hamberlin, Chicago Police District Council member; Tamar Manasseh, founder of Mothers and Men Against Senseless Killing; Christopher Watts, executive director of the Kindness Campaign, and Joshua Coakley, Target Area Development Corporation executive director.

These leaders - all of whom have directly been affected by gun violence in Chicago - will urge President Trump to coordinate with local and state officials to promote proven solutions such as investment in small businesses, trade schools and jobs training as an alternative to the promised occupation of Chicago by federalized National Guard troops.

Preston’s press conference will be streamed here.

* US Rep. Bill Foster has endorsed Biss for the 9th CD…

U.S. Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) announced his endorsement of Daniel Biss for Congress in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. Rep. Foster joins Rep. Sean Casten (IL-06) in supporting Biss, the only IL-09 candidate who has been endorsed by any member of the Illinois Congressional delegation to date.

Rep. Foster’s support comes on the heels of last week’s endorsements from Chicago City Council members Andre Vasquez (40th Ward), Matt Martin (47th Ward), and Timmy Knudsen (43rd Ward), as well as the Bricklayers Administrative District Council 1.

“Our people and our planet are under direct threat right now from Donald Trump and his right-wing MAGA allies. We need scientific leaders like Daniel Biss in Congress who understand the issues facing our communities and have the right approach and technical background to fight back and win,” said Congressman Bill Foster. “As a mathematician, a state lawmaker, and a local mayor, Daniel has proven he will not only take on powerful interests, but also build the coalitions necessary to win change. He will be a valuable addition to Illinois’ Congressional delegation.”

* US Rep. Mike Bost…

Click here for the full list.

…Adding… 8th CD candidate Kevin Morrison…

In a major development in the race for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District, Cook County Commissioner and Democratic candidate Kevin Morrison today announced that Congressman Mike Quigley, three additional members of Congress, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart, former Houston Mayor Annise Parker and more than 50 local leaders and elected officials are endorsing him. Alongside the more than 100 leaders and elected officials who have already endorsed, today’s endorsements mark an unprecedented level of support and make clear that Kevin Morrison is the only candidate in the race who can build the broad coalition necessary to win in the Northwest and Western suburbs.

“As a lifelong resident of the Northwest suburbs, Kevin knows firsthand the challenges hard-working families in his community face every day,” said Congressman Mike Quigley. “Kevin is an exemplary public servant who has delivered results time and again, and I know that he will continue being a fierce champion for his District as a member of Congress. I’m proud to endorse Kevin, and I look forward to working with him to put more money in the pockets of working families.”

“When the right to choose was on the line, Kevin didn’t hesitate—he fought back,” said Vermont Congresswoman Becca Balint. “As a member of Congress, I know he will continue being the kind of fighter that we need right now. He is a strong warrior who also understands the importance of listening. I’m proud to endorse him for Congress. At a time when reproductive freedoms remain under continuous assault, we need to elect thoughtful, caring people like Kevin who won’t shy away from a fight.”

…Adding… Sen. Robert Peters…

Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17), a leading progressive voice in Washington, D.C., endorsed State Sen. Robert Peters for Congress in Illinois’ 2nd District on Thursday.

“From taking on the healthcare industry’s predatory practices, to ending the inequitable cash bail system in Illinois, Robert Peters is the kind of progressive organizer we need more of in Congress,” said Khanna. “I’m excited to fight alongside him.” […]

Rep. Khanna co-chaired Sen. Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, for which Sen. Peters was an Illinois delegate.

US Rep. Khanna endorsed Kat Abughazaleh in the 9th CD in July.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Stuff

Thursday, Sep 4, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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The reality behind the rhetoric

Thursday, Sep 4, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This question about ICE was asked during Gov. JB Pritzker’s press conference yesterday…

Q: What protections are you offering the community besides getting upset?

Pritzker: Well, as you know, we cannot stand in the way. It’s not like we’re going to have armed men standing in between. That’s not something that’s legal. That’s not something that the state of Illinois can engage in, or the city of Chicago can engage in.

OK, let’s stop there for a moment.

* People from the right, the left, and many, many, many in between, as well as the news media and quite a lot of immigrants have totally bought into the “sanctuary state” rhetoric.

The only “sanctuary” this state offers is that state and local police are barred from cooperating with immigration authorities on civil matters. State and local cops can’t help ICE arrest suspected undocumented immigrants unless there’s a judicial warrant. State prisons and county jails can’t release inmates to ICE without a judicial warrant and can’t accept accused undocumented prisoners without judicial action.

ICE mostly uses civil warrants, which are basically just paper or electronic forms that the agents themselves often fill out right before they arrest someone. Under federal law, that’s legal. There is nothing the state can do to help the arrestees if ICE is following federal law. And even if they’re not following the law, I don’t know what the state could legally do except go to court.

I asked Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul back in July if he planned to release any guidance to state and local police about how to deal with federal immigration enforcement officers. AG Raoul said he only issues such guidance when there’s a state law involved, and since no state laws exist about this, he said, no guidance would be forthcoming. And, as far as I can tell, he’s right.

* Because of federal supremacy, ICE’s core mission is legal in Illinois like it is in every other state. And local cops can help protect immigration authorities and other federal agents if Illinoisans are violating state laws during the course of the federal agents’ duties. This may not be a perfect example, but it’s local and fairly recent…

Broadview, IL police arrested and cited 3 protesters (all since released) outside the Broadview ICE processing/detention center this morning after a prayer group concluded.

It was a busy morning for transport—reporters witnessed ICE move over a dozen detainees from the facility.

[image or embed]

— unraveled (@unraveledpress.com) August 29, 2025 at 6:29 PM

The Broadview PD is helping ICE, but in a manner that falls within state laws. If we were an actual sanctuary state (which cannot exist under our US Constitution), the local cops would be forced to let the protesters do whatever they wanted. But we’re not because that’s just reality.

As far as I know, the state and the county health departments can’t force inspections of that Broadview facility. DCFS can’t legally demand to check on children being held. Forget it, Jake, it’s federal.

I mean, if this was really a sanctuary state and Chicago was a sanctuary city, then Mayor Brandon Johnson could’ve ordered federal agents to take off their masks, instead of just asking them to.

* Back to Pritzker…

I have been very clear about what we do want. What we do want is civilian law enforcement assistance. We want to make sure that we have enough FBI, ATF, DEA on the ground. We have some already. As you know, they do really good work, working in tandem with state police, working in tandem with Chicago Police Department, but we can use more.

OK, but a lot of those federal police are now working with ICE…

These numbers represent staggering shares of federal law enforcement agents, being shifted from criminal law enforcement to minor civil immigration offenses www.cato.org/blog/ice-has…

[image or embed]

— David Bier (@davidjbier.bsky.social) September 3, 2025 at 10:53 AM

It’s a bit of a pickle for Pritzker. Ask for more federal help, and all he may do is bring in more immigration reinforcements.

* This is a classic example of how Illinois is not a “sanctuary” state as so many people believe. These folks will receive no protection from the state and the county even in a county courthouse designed for domestic violence cases…

A woman was detained by federal immigration agents Wednesday while arriving at Cook County’s domestic violence courthouse, raising concerns among advocates that Donald Trump’s plan to ramp up enforcement in Chicago has taken hold.

Lauren Hanna, an advocate with Metropolitan Family Services, said she saw four plainclothes agents take the woman into custody around 8:45 a.m. One of the agents told Hanna that they wanted to talk to the woman “about her immigration status.”

The woman was a defendant in a case that was scheduled to be heard 15 minutes later. Her domestic violence charges were dismissed during the hearing, and the presiding judge wrote in a court document that the woman was in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. […]

The woman was the second person detained by immigration officials this week at the courthouse at 555 W. Harisson St., according to Tessa Kuipers, of Family Rescue, who said another person was taken into custody Tuesday. Kuipers said ICE agents hadn’t been spotted at the courthouse previously.

The woman was an accused abuser, but if ICE is around, what are the chances that a victim with a perhaps shaky visa status will refuse to go to court against her accuser? Pretty high, I imagine.

Ugh.

* Amanda Pyron, President & CEO of The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, sent out a press release that basically offered ways to avoid federal police, but didn’t detail any state or local protections because there are none…

For survivors who had planned to seek help at the 555 W. Harrison courthouse in the coming days, we encourage you to file for orders of protection online and contact the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-877-863-6338 to get connected with legal advocates. The Illinois Legal Aid website has information about how to get started with the paperwork and can connect you with legal support: https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/starting-case-get-order-protection. Survivors will need to be able to log into a Zoom account to connect with a judge remotely. Zoom instructions can be found in English and Spanish at the Cook County Court website. For individuals with follow up hearings over the coming days, please reach out to the Clerk’s office for virtual hearing details: (312) 603-5030.

* One more thing from Pritzker…

Very importantly, we’ve asked for the public to be ready with your iPhone and any way that you can to record what’s going on in their neighborhoods by ICE, because we think that’s the best way to demonstrate what ice is doing if they’re doing something wrong, or to keep them honest and doing the right thing, because they know they’re being watched.

Aside from possible lawsuits, that’s really all there is.

* Sorry to all sides for the bluntness, but that’s just the way it is. You gotta deal with the reality as it exists, not argue over the lazy hot takes.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Sep 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Gov. JB Pritzker expecting federal ‘actions’ by weekend as local officials brace for 300 immigration agents. Tribune…

* Related stories…

• Tribune: Advocates to immigrants as raids loom: Carry your green card, watch out for your neighbor, stay home
• Crain’s: Pritzker: Trump’s immigration raids could start as soon as Saturday
• CBS Chicago: Gov. Pritzker meets with violence interrupters as Chicago prepares for possible federal troop deployment
NBC Chicago: Feds plan to reassign 600 military attorneys to serve as immigration judges

* Governor Pritzker will be in Berwyn at 12:30 to make the start of the school year at Prairie Oak Elementary School. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WCIA | Illinois joins 23 other states in opposing rule change that could cut homecare workers pay: The Trump Administration wants to do away with an Obama era rule that required homecare workers to be paid at least the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 an hour. The rule also guarantees overtime pay if it is required. “If something bad happens right before my shift ends with that individual that you’re serving, then that worker has to choose between either not doing it for that individual or doing the work without the pay,” Keller said.

* CBS Chicago | Broadview mayor says ICE campaign “will soon be underway” at local immigration facility: Federal officials have informed us that a large-scale enforcement campaign will soon be underway,” Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson wrote in a letter to residents and business owners. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Beach Street — a brick building with barbed-wire fencing — will serve as the primary processing location for detainees, according to Thompson. “This effort may draw protests and demonstrations, like those seen earlier this year in Los Angeles, where property damage and assaults against law enforcement were reported. As a result, we will be working closely with all businesses along Beach Drive to alert them to the possibility of traffic disruptions that may affect employees and deliveries over the next 45 to 60 days,” Thompson wrote.

*** Statewide ***

* Capitol News Illinois | The federal farm policy trap: why some farmers are stuck raising crops that no longer thrive: In these Mississippi River bottoms, federal farm policy became a trap. Farming is one of the most heavily subsidized industries in America. Each year, Congress allocates billions to keep crops in the ground, cushioning the blow from droughts, floods, fires and market swings — a safety net that dates to the 1930s, when the Depression and Dust Bowl put the nation’s food supply at risk. But today, in some of the most flood- and drought-prone parts of the country, those programs can also keep people hanging on, even when it makes more sense to walk away. That’s increasingly clear along parts of the Mississippi River Valley and especially here in Alexander County, at the rural tip of Illinois. As the climate changes and as aging levees fail, the risk is becoming more predictable, the losses so frequent it is clear some land will no longer yield what it used to.

* Tribune | Fall foliage tracker 2025: Where and when to go leaf peeping in Illinois, the Midwest and throughout the U.S.: The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center expects above normal temperatures and normal chances of precipitation from September through November. So, the sweaters might have to stay tucked away for a bit longer. What does the weather forecast mean for leaves? When will they change color? Since 2013, SmokyMountains.com has used historical temperature, precipitation and regional tree data and feedback from foliage fans around the United States to produce a map that shows a county-by-county view of the best times to visit for peak leaf-peeping.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Republican Jimmy Ford has announced a bid against Rep. Katie Stuart. Press Release…

Jimmy Ford, a community leader, small-business owner, and father of three, today announced his campaign for State Representative in the 112th District, pledging to bring tough, compassionate leadership to Springfield and work for the people of the Metro East.

“Our state is broken because politicians in Springfield care more about themselves than the people they’re supposed to serve, and we are all paying the price with a higher cost of living as prices for energy, gas, groceries, and healthcare have become unaffordable for working families,” Ford said. “I’m running because you deserve someone tough with compassion on your side. I’ll stand up for you when others don’t. I won’t take any crap when it comes to standing up for you and delivering results.”

Rep. Stuart won the district by 9 points in 2024. The last Republican to win it was President Trump in 2016, by a slim margin. Kamala Harris won the district by 6 points in 2024.

* Sun-Times | Illinois attorney general joins push for bond hearings for detained immigrants: In the amicus brief, Raoul and 19 other attorneys general rejected the federal policy giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement the authority to detain unauthorized immigrants without giving them opportunity to attend a bond hearing. The policy was implemented in July as a new interpretation of an existing law that says immigrants in the U.S. without legal status “shall be detained” after their arrest, according to The Washington Post. In a memo sent to immigration enforcement employees, ICE acting director Todd Lyons said such immigrants should be detained “for the duration of their removal proceedings.”

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | ICE detains woman at Chicago courthouse as Trump threatens to ramp up immigration enforcement: Lauren Hanna, an advocate at the courthouse, said she saw four plainclothes agents take the woman into custody around 8:45 a.m. One of the agents told Hanna that they wanted to talk to the woman “about her immigration status.” The woman was a defendant in a case that was scheduled to be heard 15 minutes later. Her domestic violence charges were dismissed during the hearing, and the presiding judge wrote in a court document that the woman was in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

* Sun-Times | CTU calls for remote learning option for families amid looming immigration raids: Union President Stacy Davis Gates said the district should have a plan to shift those students to online learning to minimize the impact of being outside of the classroom. But Gates wasn’t optimistic that the district would be able to achieve that. “CPS is not ready for that,” she said, though she noted CPS was in a better position to stand up remote learning than it was when the pandemic hit.

* Sun-Times | Pilsen Mexican Independence Day parade to be held with precautions amid potential deportation campaign: Volunteers stationed along the route will carry radios, cellphones and whistles to quickly report any issues, said Rigoberto Gonzalez Jr., executive director of the Pilsen Chamber of Commerce. “We want people to feel safe,” he said.

* Second City Cop | FOP Charges Filed (huge post): We’re told that five charges were filed against the president of Lodge 7 Tuesday afternoon. We don’t have a list yet, but supposedly this will be THE topic discussed at the Board Meeting Wednesday with a possible suspension pending investigation.

* FOP President John Catanzara’s response to the “drama”…

* Sun-Times | As Chicago braces for troops, a reminder — soldiers have been here before, and often made things worse: That first military effort in Chicago — for years called the Fort Dearborn Massacre, but really a battle, a minor skirmish in the War of 1812 that went very badly for one side — was a mixed bag. The Army’s presence planted the seeds of the city. They also got its residents killed by mishandling relations with the local Native Americans. The history of American soldiers in Chicago — about to get a significant new chapter with President Donald Trump planning to deploy the National Guard to the city — is also checkered.

* MediaIte | Daily Wire Host Calls for the Execution of Chicago’s Mayor: Daily Wire host Matt Walsh accused Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson of treason and said Johnson should be “given the requisite punishment for a capital offense.” Speaking on Wednesday’s edition of The Matt Walsh Show, which airs on Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire platform, Walsh expressed support for President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard soldiers to large cities controlled by Democrats, ostensibly to combat crime.

* Sun-Times | City-owned vacant lots near United Center could become housing, retail: The city of Chicago is looking for developers to revive more than a dozen vacant lots near the United Center, ahead of the arena’s ownership kicking off construction of its $7 billion 1901 Project. The city opened up requests for proposals last month for four clusters of city-owned lots, totaling 19 sites, along West Madison and West Fifth streets in the Near West Side and East Garfield Park. On Wednesday, it held a presubmission meeting for interested parties.

* Chicago Reader | Nancy Faust transformed the sound of baseball: During a particularly good Sox season in 1972, Faust and announcer Harry Caray ramped up the showmanship. When she was hired, Faust had been asked to play the state song of each batter as he strolled to the plate, but she also had license to get more creative. In ’72, she debuted a customized version of “Jesus Christ Superstar” for popular White Sox slugger Dick Allen.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Batavia alderman to resign: Batavia is looking for a new 7th Ward alderman, as Alderman Sarah Vogelsinger is resigning. Mayor Jeff Schielke announced the news at Tuesday’s city council meeting. Vogelsinger said she is doing so due to increased obligations to her family because her husband is working more hours at his job. “It was a really hard decision,” she said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed the time here learning from all the experts” on topics that come before the council, she said.

* Daily Herald | A ‘terrible desecration’: Antisemitic graffiti painted outside Vernon Hills synagogue: A retaining wall near the parking lot at Congregation Or Shalom, 21 Hawthorn Parkway, was vandalized about 8:30 p.m. Sunday night. Someone used spray paint to draw a lewd symbol and write a short phrase targeting Jews, Vernon Hills police said. The graffiti, which faced the synagogue, was discovered Tuesday morning by an employee arriving for work, Rabbi Ari Margolis said. It was being removed Wednesday in a laborious process.

* Daily Herald | Aurora mayor says broadband service mismanaged its finances: Aurora Mayor John Laesch is shaking up OnLight Aurora, saying the fiber-optic broadband service has mismanaged its funds and is deep in debt. He is questioning more than $337,000 in marketing expenses that the former chairman of the city-affiliated not-for-profit paid since 2018. Laesch said there is little to show for the money that was spent. The list of expenses includes $7,206 on what the mayor called adult entertainment and $50,937 in debit card withdrawals at ATMs by OnLight’s former chairman.

* Lake & McHenry County Scanner | ‘Reckless and dangerous’: County board member to introduce resolution opposing ICE, National Guard in Lake County: Lake County Board Member Esiah Campos said Wednesday that he will call for an emergency meeting of the Lake County Board. Campos said he is introducing a resolution opposing President Donald J. Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard units and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Naval Station Great Lakes in Lake County. Campos, a Navy reservist, said the resolution is about defending the values of Lake County and rejecting federal action that would bring fear and division into the community.

* Patch | Addison Township Official’s Home In Question: Bobby Hernandez, a Democrat, is currently the supervisor of Addison Township. In the April election, he ousted Republican Dennis Reboletti, who served two terms. On Oct. 15, he registered to vote at a house in the 400 block of West Diversey Avenue in Addison. He remains registered there, according to records from the DuPage County Clerk’s Office. Two months later, Hernandez, 36, used that address in a filing with the state Board of Elections as the chairman of Democratic Candidates for Addison Township. The Diversey house is now in foreclosure, with more than $253,392 still owed, according to DuPage County court records.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Oswego Village Board discusses possible extension of 1% grocery tax: Oswego trustees meeting as a committee of the whole Tuesday evening directed village staff to prepare an ordinance to locally extend a 1% state grocery tax set to expire at the end of the year. The Oswego Village Board is set to take a formal vote on the measure Sept. 16. However, trustees have yet to decide whether the funds generated by the proposed grocery tax extension should remain in the village’s general fund or to direct some or all of the revenue to the Water and Sewer Fund to help with debt service payments.

* Naperville Sun | Naperville D203 contract keeps current school day, increases base salary: A new four-year contract for members of the Naperville Unit Education Association, approved unanimously Wednesday by Naperville District 203 School Board, calls for the current school day structure to remain as is and the annual base salary to increase between at least 2% and 3.85%. The ratification ends several contentious weeks during which members of the teacher’s union overwhelmingly voted to strike after teachers started the school year without a contract and bargaining sessions failed to produce results.

* Daily Herald | Naperville city council to vote on appointing Supna Jain to vacant spot: Jain was first elected to the District 204 board in 2021 and won reelection this past April. She is the principal lecturer in communication and media studies at North Central College in Naperville.

* Fox Chicago | Suburban attorney accused of forging hundreds of service hours for client, prosecutors say: The indictment alleges Luster “knowingly delivered to the DuPage County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office a false document apparently capable of defrauding another, being a volunteer community service documentation form … dated Dec. 16, 2024, that indicated” her client had completed 247.5 hours of community service at a daycare facility in Calumet City.

* Lake County News-Sun | Lake County Forest Preserves wage war on invasive buckthorn; ‘Lots of people hate this’: While visually unremarkable to the layman, the plant is the bane of people like Matt Ueltzen, the manager of restoration ecology with the forest preserves, who is one of dozens of staffers and teams of volunteers that work year-round to combat the invasive species that has detrimental impacts on local ecosystems. Today, more than 50% of Lake County’s trees are buckthorn. At the Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area, Ueltzen pointed out a few small buckthorn shrubs, maybe a few feet high. The tips of their trunks have a pair of buds resembling deer hooves. […] But its competitive advantages have allowed it to outperform native plants. Ueltzen said it spreads seeds at a young age, leaves out earlier in the spring than native plants and remains green into the fall.

*** Downstate ***

* WTVO | Could Illinois ICE surge extend to Rockford? City officials issue warning: The City posted a notice to its Facebook page in both English and Spanish, saying, “We are aware that Homeland Security recently confirmed plans to expand ICE operations in Chicago. While there is no confirmation that these operations will extend to Rockford, we recognize it is a possibility. And, we also recognize the fear and uncertainty this news may cause.” “It’s also important to be clear – the Rockford Police Department follows the Illinois Trust Act. We do not participate in ICE raids, nor will we,” the statement continued. “To our immigrant neighbors: please know this — you are valued, you are cared for and you are an important part of who we are.”

* Tribune | A year after opening, Hard Rock Casino Rockford looks to add hotel as it anticipates competition from Wisconsin: One year after launching its $300 million permanent casino, the Hard Rock Casino Rockford is looking to add a hotel and other amenities to defend its turf against the Ho-Chunk Nation, which is building a casino complex 18 miles away in Beloit, Wisconsin. The casino border war could see millions of dollars in play across state lines in an escalating competition for customers when Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit opens next summer. Both sides are preparing for battle.

* WTVO | Over 1 million guests visit Hard Rock Casino Rockford in first year: Since its opening, the casino has generated over $8 million in tax revenue for Winnebago County. A significant portion of this revenue supports the Rockford Promise Scholarship Program, which benefits local students.

*** National ***

* OCPA | Federal judge strikes down Oklahoma’s in-state tuition for illegal immigrants: In his order and final consent judgment in United States of America v. State of Oklahoma, U.S. District Judge Ronald White declared that the Oklahoma law is “unconstitutional and invalid.” […] The Higher Ed Immigration Portal notes that Oklahoma state law allowed illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition if a youth graduated from high school in Oklahoma, resided in Oklahoma with a parent or guardian for at least two years prior to high school graduation, and had applied with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for legal status.

* The Hill | Oz backs Florida dropping school vaccine mandates: In an interview on “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” the Fox News host asked Oz whether he agrees with officials who want to make Florida the first state in the nation to end childhood vaccine requirements and whether Oz would “recommend the same thing to your patients.” “I would definitely not have mandates for vaccinations,” the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator told MacCallum.

14 Comments

Good morning!

Thursday, Sep 4, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Jesse Welles…

joy’s gonna save you from
joy’s gonna save you from
yerrrrrself

And what say you?

6 Comments

Selected press releases (Live updates)

Thursday, Sep 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Comment

Live coverage

Thursday, Sep 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

1 Comment