Stories by Matt Masterson

Chicago’s top federal judge announced plans to halt pay and some operations as the court system continues “feeling the pain” of the ongoing government shutdown.

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement official Russell Hott is exiting his post in Chicago and returning to Washington, a day after a federal judge in Illinois demanded he appear in court to answer questions about his agency’s continued use of tear gas in and around the city.

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans signed an order banning federal immigration agents from arresting people around local courthouses without a warrant.

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.

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 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.

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 — 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.

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.

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.