Stories by Matt Masterson

A federal judge has ordered U.S. immigration officials to remove an 8-foot fence around a suburban processing center after local officials said it endangered residents by preventing the fire department from reaching area businesses.

National Guard troops who were sent to Illinois this week were expected to be assigned to protect Chicago’s federal courthouse Friday, even as the chief judge said she never requested or approved their presence.

A federal judge ruled Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the Broadview facility cannot use “riot control weapons” like tear gas, pepper spray or rubber bullets against reporters, protesters and members of the clergy who aren’t posing an immediate threat to the safety of law enforcement.

Interim CPS CEO Macquline King on Wednesday said the district command center in order to provide “round-the-clock support” to school communities experiencing “heightened stress due to activity outside their building.”

National Guard troops arrived in Illinois as part of an unprecedented deployment with a directive to protect federal immigration agents “in places where there are violent demonstrations. So where might that be?

Prosecutors in Chicago on Monday filed a murder-for-hire charge against 37-year-old Juan Espinoza Martinez, whom they claim is a “ranking member” of the Latin Kings gang.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling rejected claims his officers failed to respond to a pair of incidents involving federal agents in the city over the weekend, saying more than two dozen officers were affected by chemical gas deployed by the agents.

Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson has signed an executive order setting fixed protest hours outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s suburban processing facility.

The Chicago Headline Club, Chicago Newspaper Guild Local 34071, Block Club Chicago and other media groups filed the suit alongside protesters in federal court alleging their First Amendment rights have been violated.

Chicago Ald. Jessie Fuentes was detained by federal agents inside Humboldt Park Health, as tensions continue to rise between local residents and officials and immigration agents conducting enforcement operations in the city.

Citing financial issues, the Board of Directors overseeing Chicago’s only public arts high school informed the school district earlier this week that it would not submit a renewal application.

Illinois and Cook County law enforcement have constructed designated areas for protesters to “safely exercise their rights” outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in suburban Broadview.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday denied Madigan’s request to remain out on bond, meaning the longtime speaker must report to federal prison Oct. 13.

Calls from local residents seeking legal aid have “skyrocketed” in recent months, Chicago immigration advocates said Thursday, as families are increasingly seeking out assistance amid ongoing federal enforcement operations.

It’s not yet clear when military troops could be deployed into Illinois, but Gov. JB Pritzker expects President Donald Trump to “keep the militarization going” even after the federal government shut down overnight.

Mayor Katrina Thompson on Tuesday accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials of waging a “disinformation campaign” amid their continued use of chemical and less-lethal munitions directed at crowds outside the agency’s Broadview processing center.

Pritzker on Monday said the Department of Homeland Security has ordered the Illinois National Guard deployment after ICE agents used chemical munitions and less lethal ammo on protesters outside the agency’s suburban Broadview facility.

Mayor Katrina Thompson in a letter to the ICE Field Office Director Russell Hott on Friday claimed ICE’s response to protesters exercising their First Amendment rights outside the Broadview facility is “endangering nearby village residents” and harming Broadview’s police and firefighters.

After back-to-back years of enrollment growth for the first time in more than a decade, Chicago Public Schools on Thursday announced it has seen a drop in its number of students for the new academic year.

Interim CPS CEO Macquline King on Thursday stood by the district’s commitment to its existing policies after the Department of Education threatened to withhold millions in funding.

A federal judge has rejected the Trump administration’s attempts to force states to comply with unlawful immigration conditions in order to obtain federal disaster relief funding, ruling such efforts are "unconstitutional” after officials from Illinois and other states sued.

A suburban fire chief has asked federal authorities to remove fencing placed up around an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center this week in Broadview.

A Chicago police officer is accused of using his official credentials to purchase an assault weapon and another firearm in an attempt to smuggle them into Mexico.

The Illinois State Board of Education next month will begin hosting listening sessions around the state on the first draft of its Comprehensive Numeracy Plan, which the board said will provide guidance that supports educators, schools and districts in advancing student success in math.

The University of Chicago ranked sixth in the nation, jumping up five spots from eleventh last year, while the Evanston-based Northwestern University fell one spot into a tie for seventh.

The former journalist, who was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Joe Biden in 2024 for his contributions as an arts leader in Chicago, died at his home Sunday following a brief battle with cancer.