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Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)

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* ABC Chicago

A Chicago alderperson said federal immigration agents handcuffed her, while she was questioning them at a Humboldt Park medical center Friday. […]

Alderperson Jessie Fuentes was handcuffed and threatened with arrest, the alderperson’s office said in a news release Friday.

It was not immediately clear how the alleged handcuffing was related to immigration enforcement.

Fuentes’ office said tear gas was recently used on passersby at the Home Depot on Cicero Street and Armitage Avenue and at Rico Fresh on Armitage and Central Park Avenue, as well.

…Adding… The Tribune’s Jake Sheridan

ICE agents handcuffed and detained Chicago Ald. Jessie Fuentes inside a hospital emergency room today.

She had demanded they share a warrant for a man they detained inside the hospital who was reportedly injured during a chase, she said. She was later released. pic.twitter.com/fgVwMUnCDE

— Jake Sheridan (@JakeSheridan_) October 3, 2025


* Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado…

Following ICE deploying tear gas outside of Funston Elementary and ICE activity at schools across the district, State Representative Eva-Dina Delgado released the following statement:

“I am outraged by reports of tear gas being deployed outside of a school in my district and I am monitoring the situation closely,” said Rep. Delgado. “Donald Trump is continuing to use ICE to terrorize our communities and it is entirely unacceptable. Children deserve to learn in peace in their classrooms and families deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods Militarizing our streets and tearing families apart accomplishes none of that and it has to stop. I urge residents to know their rights and stay safe and I will continue to do everything in my power to fight back against this administration.”

* Attorney General Kwame Raoul…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that after he led a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing a multistate lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the DOJ has now dropped its plan to impose illegal conditions on nearly $1.4 billion in Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants.
 
Earlier this year, the Trump administration, disregarding the clear letter of the law and intent of Congress, declared that states would be unable to access VOCA funds unless they agreed to the administration’s demands that states assist in federal immigration enforcement. VOCA funds are used to support victims and survivors of crimes and are not related to immigration enforcement.
 
“This is a win for survivors of violent crimes who rely upon this funding for programs that help them recover from the physical and emotional trauma they have endured,” Raoul said. “These funds have no relationship to civil immigration policy, and the Trump administration’s plan to impose conditions on this funding was unlawful and immoral. I will continue to lead the effort, along with other attorneys general, to protect federal funding for programs that support survivors of violent crimes.”

*** Statewide ***

* Press Release | Illinois Manufacturers Celebrate Manufacturing Month with Launch of “Makers on the Move” Bus Tour at The Will Group in Chicago: The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) and the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) today launched the fourth annual “Makers on the Move” statewide bus tour, which will visit manufacturing facilities, educational institutions and community centers across Illinois to highlight the diverse, rewarding careers in manufacturing and offer an up-close look at today’s high-tech modern manufacturing.

* WCIA | State of Illinois ‘unaffected’ by H5N1 bird flu in dairy cows, IDPH announces: The State of Illinois is now officially considered to be “unaffected” by the H5N1 strain of bird flu in dairy cattle, the Illinois Departments of Public Health and Agriculture announced on Friday. “Unaffected” is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as “ongoing testing and surveillance activities demonstrate absence of disease in dairy cattle in the state.” This means that as of Friday morning, no dairy cows in the state are infected with the H5N1 strain.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Daily Herald | Transit fiscal cliff shrinks in 2026 but will grow in 2027: However, the revenue gap goes back up significantly in 2027, as all of the COVID-19 money will be used up, Dillard said. “State sales tax changes, relatively strong economic performance and cost-control efforts will produce a smaller cliff in 2026 than the $771 million projected in last year’s budget,” Communications Director Tina Fassett Smith said. Also, Metra, Pace and the CTA were asked to budget for a 10% fare increase in 2026, and the RTA allocated $74 million in discretionary funds to the CTA to delay cuts, she noted.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Johnson vows Chicago will fight to keep $2.1B in federal infrastructure grants: Johnson called the move “politically motivated” and said “South Siders have waited for more than 50 years for the Red Line Extension.” “Right when we are finally on the brink of moving forward, Trump just cut off the funding. From public safety to public education to public transit, this president is cutting the services that working people rely upon,” he said.

* Sun-Times | ChiArts board not renewing contract with CPS citing ‘unsustainable’ deficit, sparking questions about future: In a message to families, ChiArts Board Executive Director Tina Boyer Brown and principal Néstor Corona said “increasing financial challenges” led the board to its “very difficult” decision, adding that rising operating costs have led to an “unsustainable” deficit. “This means the board will not manage the school after the end of this school year,” the message said. It assured parents that the decision will not affect the current school year. It said school leadership is “working hand in hand with CPS to secure a long-term solution that continues ChiArts’ unique conservatory model.” The school, which sits on the edge of Humboldt Park on Chicago’s West Side, enrolls about 550 students and opened in 2009.

* Sun-Times | Cops accused of PPP fraud, domestic violence are the sons of two former Chicago police superintendents: Dana Hillard has been accused of defrauding the federal Paycheck Protection Program that was intended to keep businesses afloat during the pandemic, records show. Kendall Waller faces allegations of domestic battery, breaking into a home and stealing a car. Waller’s father remains a powerful figure within the police department, working as a civilian adviser to Supt. Larry Snelling.

* Sun-Times | Damen Silos demolition is halted by Chicago city officials due to ‘excessive dust’: Ramirez said health officials told her that the stoppage is likely to only be temporary. Much of the demolition is already complete. The former grain silos, which have been idle for decades, and the more than 20 acres around the structures were bought by city contractor Michael Tadin Jr. and his family in 2022.

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s ethnic grocery stores struggle to keep prices down and import goods: A 10-pack of the popular instant noodle brand Shin Ramyun is $10.99 at 88 Marketplace, an Asian supermarket in the Lower West Side near Chinatown. But the South Korean ramen brand’s prices could soon increase, as President Donald Trump’s trade war wages on. Jan Zhu, store manager at 88 Marketplace, said the recent 15% import tariffs on South Korean products will make it harder for the grocer to keep prices down.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* AP | Protesters at ICE facility object to barricades, agents detain multiple people: Local law enforcement stepped up their own presence Friday, closing several streets around the facility and putting Illinois State Police officers wearing riot helmets and holding batons on patrol. The state police set up concrete barriers Thursday night to segregate protesters and designate spaces to demonstrate.

* Daily Southtown | Orland Park new outreach coordinator resigns as Mayor Jim Dodge’s campaign treasurer:
The Orland Park Village Board voted in July to amend the budget to hire Dean Casper, who also serves on the Tinley Park Elementary District 146 board, for a new outreach coordinator position. He will receive a $90,000 annual salary plus an additional $1,300 toward Medicare and $5,600 toward Social Security benefits, according to village records. The move drew criticism from former Mayor Keith Pekau, who said in a social media post Wednesday that the Casper’s hiring was “pure patronage.”

* Aurora Beacon-News | Kane County Board member, former North Aurora Village President Dale Berman dies at 91: “Dale was an incredibly special person,” current North Aurora Village President Mark Gaffino said in a news release on Thursday. “He gave his life to others and North Aurora has lost a truly beloved and valued member of our community. Dale’s love of the village was only surpassed by his love for his family.” Berman is survived by his wife of more than six decades, Mary, four daughters and many grandchildren, according to the county.

*** Downstate ***

* WJBD | Kaskaskia College sees enrollment growth again for fall: Vice President of Student Services Amy Zanton says enrollment and credit hours are up about three percent for the fall semester on top of a 5.2-percent increase for fiscal year 2025 that ended in June. “When we went into that COVID year, our credit hours before COVID really hit were sitting at roughly 68,000 credit hours per year,” Zanton said. “We closed out the end of this last fiscal year at just over 74,000 credit hours. We’re proud to be able to say that we’ve made our way back to those pre-pandemic numbers and going strong there.”

* BND | Local U.S. attorney deals with government shutdown, partisan message on website: U.S. Attorney Steve Weinhoeft is not only dealing with a 35% staff reduction due to the federal government shutdown, but also questions about a blatantly partisan message across the top of his webpage. The message appears on U.S. attorney webpages across the country, including the one for the Southern District of Illinois. “Democrats have shut down the government,” it reads. “Department of Justice websites are not currently regularly updated.”

* WAND | University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine hosting ‘Vet Med Comes to Life’ open house: There will be more than 40 exhibits and demos showcasing the science and caring behind veterinary medicine. There will also be interactive games and crafts for kids, live animals including horses, dogs, snakes, sheep, cows, and birds of prey from the Wildlife Medical Clinic.

*** National ***

* Crain’s | Rivian plans EV door redesign to address safety concerns: Rivian plans to incorporate a manual release that’s more clearly visible and located near the electrically powered interior handles in the rear doors of its next-generation SUV, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. The new lower-cost model line known as R2 is slated for deliveries to begin in the first half of 2026.

* AP | Lack of jobs data due to government shutdown muddies view of hiring and the US economy: The interruption in the data has occurred at a particularly uncertain time, when policymakers at the Federal Reserve and Wall Street investors would need more data on the economy, rather than less. Hiring has ground nearly to a halt, threatening to drag down the broader economy. Yet at the same time, consumers — particularly higher-income earners — are still spending and some businesses are ramping up investments in data centers developing artificial intelligence models. Whether that is enough to revive hiring remains to be seen.

* Slate | MAGA’s Top “Voter Fraud” Watchdog Votes in a Swing State. He Doesn’t Live There: Posobiec has not been charged with any violation of voting laws, but both the Pennsylvania state attorney general’s office and the Montgomery County district attorney’s office were previously made aware of Posobiec’s possible residency in Maryland, a source with knowledge told us. A spokesperson for the county DA’s office said they do not comment on active investigations. A spokesperson for Attorney General Dave Sunday’s office said that the office does not discuss investigations or confirm their existence, but that, “generally speaking, our office has jurisdiction over the Pennsylvania Election Code.”

* ProPublica | Trump Canceled 94 Million Pounds of Food Aid. Here’s What Never Arrived.: In the spring, the Trump administration abruptly cut $500 million in deliveries from a program that sends U.S.-produced meat, dairy, eggs and produce to food banks and other organizations across the country — about a quarter of the funding the program received in 2024. The items that were delivered through The Emergency Food Assistance Program were some of the healthiest, most expensive items that organizations distribute. […] ProPublica obtained records from the Department of Agriculture of each planned delivery in 2025, detailing the millions of pounds of food, down to the number of eggs, that never reached hungry people because of the administration’s cut.

posted by Isabel Miller
Friday, Oct 3, 25 @ 2:39 pm

Comments

  1. they must have some big operation going on. but teargas? wow.

    Comment by Amalia Friday, Oct 3, 25 @ 2:49 pm

  2. Amalia - the video is available online. The ICE agent’s vehicle is on Armitage westbound in traffic with masked operators inside. They are being heckled and protested for their presence in the neighborhood. Not by an organized group, just by members of the neighborhood who have noticed them. The unmarked & unidentified agent’s response is to toss a gas canister into the street while next door to a grocery store and across the street from an elementary school. Some big operation.

    Comment by Humboldt Friday, Oct 3, 25 @ 3:06 pm

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