Stories by Matt Masterson
Warrantless Immigration Arrests Banned at Cook County Courthouses Under New Order
| Matt Masterson
Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans signed an order banning federal immigration agents from arresting people around local courthouses without a warrant.
Federal Agents Deploy Tear Gas Against Crowd on Chicago’s Southeast Side
| Matt Masterson
Federal immigration agents deployed tear gas on Chicago’s Southeast Side on Tuesday morning after a crowd gathered at the scene of a car crash involving those agents.
WGN-TV Employee Detained by Federal Agents Denies Wrongdoing, Plans to Pursue ‘All Legal Avenues’
| Matt Masterson
Attorneys for Debbie Brockman said she has not been charged with any crimes after federal authorities including Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino accused her of throwing items at agents last Friday.
Mayor Brandon Johnson, Illinois Rideshare Group Aim to Protect Drivers After ‘Unacceptable’ O’Hare Parking Lot Raid
| Matt Masterson
Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Illinois Drivers Alliance plan to launch “Know Your Rights” trainings for rideshare drivers across the Chicago area, while also working to add signage around the O’Hare rideshare lot prohibiting entry for civil immigration enforcement.
ICE Takes Down Fence Around Broadview Processing Facility After Village Lawsuit
| Matt Masterson
U.S. District Judge LaShonda Hunt last week ordered that ICE “dismantle and remove” the fence around the Broadview processing center by midnight Tuesday after local officials argued it had been constructed illegally.
Michael Madigan Reports to Federal Prison, Beginning 7.5-Year Sentence After Landmark Corruption Convictions
| Matt Masterson
Michael Madigan — long the most powerful politician in Illinois during his decades as the state’s House speaker — has reported to federal prison, eight months after a jury in Chicago convicted him on numerous corruption charges.
12 Arrested in Immigration Raid at O’Hare Airport Rideshare Parking Lot Friday
| Matt Masterson
Federal immigration agents targeted Uber and Lyft drivers in a raid at a parking lot near Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Friday, according to a coalition of rideshare drivers.
Federal Judge Orders ICE to Take Down ‘Illegal’ Fence at Broadview Facility
| 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 No Longer Expected at Dirksen Courthouse Friday During ‘High Profile’ Federal Hearings
| Matt Masterson
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.
Judge Temporarily Bars Feds From Using Tear Gas, Pepper Spray Against Reporters in Broadview
| Matt Masterson
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.
Chicago Public Schools Sets Up District Command Center in Response to ‘Fear and Anxiety’ From ICE Operations
| Matt Masterson
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 Have Arrived in Illinois. What’s Their Directive and Where Might They Be Deployed?
| Matt Masterson
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?
Feds Accuse Reputed Gang Member of Murder-for-Hire Plot Involving Senior Law Enforcement Official
| Matt Masterson
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’s Top Cop Refutes Claims His Officers Didn’t Respond to Calls for Service From Federal Agents
| Matt Masterson
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 Aims to Limit Protest Hours Outside Suburban ICE Facility
| Matt Masterson
Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson has signed an executive order setting fixed protest hours outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s suburban processing facility.
Chicago Journalists, Protesters Suing Trump Administration Over Alleged First Amendment Violations at Broadview ICE Facility
| Matt Masterson
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 Handcuffed by Federal Agents While Asking About Patient’s ICE Warrant at Hospital
| Matt Masterson
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.
ChiArts Board Won’t Renew High School’s Contract With CPS
| Matt Masterson
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.
Local, State Police Set Up Designated Protest Areas Outside Broadview ICE Facility as Demonstrations Continue
| Matt Masterson
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.
Appeals Court Rejects Michael Madigan’s Bid to Stay Out of Prison Pending Appeal
| Matt Masterson
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.
New Dashboards Track Immigration Aid Requests Around Chicago as Advocates Say Calls Have ‘Skyrocketed’
| Matt Masterson
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.
Pritzker Expects Trump to ‘Keep the Militarization Going’ Despite Government Shutdown
| Matt Masterson
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.
Broadview Officials Say ICE Waging ‘Disinformation Campaign’ Amid Protests as Local Officers ‘Shell Shocked’
| Matt Masterson
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.
Trump Administration Planning to Deploy 100 ‘Military Troops’ Troops in Illinois, Pritzker Says
| Matt Masterson
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.
Broadview Mayor Calls on ICE to Stop ‘Making War’ After Using Tear Gas, Rubber Ammo Against Protesters
| Matt Masterson
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.
CPS Enrollment Drops by 9,000 Students After Back-to-Back Years of Gains
| Matt Masterson
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.
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