Feds sued over 'Occupation of Illinois'
Good morning, Chicago. ✶
???? Below: In the biggest challenge of the Trump administration's aggressive deportation campaign to date, Chicago and Illinois officials in a new lawsuit accuse the feds of an "organized bombardment" and "interference with state sovereignty."
????️ Plus: A transgender ex-Cubs employee sues the organization, the city considers a $875,000 settlement with 2020 George Floyd protesters and more news you need to know.
???? Keeping score: The Blackhawks lost to the Oilers, 4-1.
☎️ Ask the mayor: Mayor Brandon Johnson will stop by WBEZ's "In the Loop with Sasha Ann Simons" at 9 a.m. today to answer listeners’ questions live on air. Call in 866-915-WBEZ (866-915-9239).
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⏱️: An 8-minute read
TODAY’S WEATHER ????️
Partly sunny with a high near 50 and wind gusts as strong as 30 mph.
TODAY’S TOP STORY ????
Trump administration hit with federal lawsuit over ‘occupation of Illinois and Chicago’
By Jon Seidel and Tina Sfondeles
'Indiscriminate violence': Illinois and Chicago on Monday accused federal immigration officials of an illegal occupation that’s led to "fear," "indiscriminate violence" and an "impermissible interference with state sovereignty" designed to force local leaders to abandon critical public policy. Their new federal lawsuit amounts to the broadest challenge yet to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign.
What's alleged: The suit accuses the feds of an "organized bombardment" in which "uniformed, military-trained personnel, carrying semi-automatic firearms and military-grade weaponry, have rampaged for months."
Key context: The suit is similar to, but goes further than, the high-profile lawsuit brought by protesters, media and clergy last fall that challenged the feds’ tactics. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis issued a historic order in that case in November, limiting the feds’ use of force. The plaintiffs in that case have sought its dismissal, but Ellis hesitated to grant their request after the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis last week.
Hearing set: State lawyers have sought to have the new case assigned to Ellis, given the similarities in the two suits. A hearing has been set for Thursday. For now, the new case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis, appointed to the bench by President Joe Biden in 2024.
PUBLIC SAFETY ✶
- DEA leader: Todd Smith spearheaded the federal investigation that brought down Chicago’s biggest drug traffickers. Now, he is the special agent in charge of the DEA’s Chicago field office, promoted to the job this month after serving in other high-level positions in Washington and Chicago.
- Pink Line shooting charges: Pedro Villareal, 34, was ordered detained Monday as he faces felony charges, including first-degree murder, in the shooting of two men aboard a CTA Pink Line train last month in the Loop.
- Rush employee wounded: A 23-year-old Rush University Medical Center employee was critically wounded in a shooting near the hospital Monday.
- Doctor charged in killings: Chicago doctor Michael David McKee has been charged with the Dec. 30 murders of his ex-wife and her husband in their Columbus, Ohio, home, the Associated Press reports.
- Highway shootings drop: For the first time in a decade, no one was killed in interstate shootings, as the number of shootings dropped for the fourth year straight in 2025, according to state police.
MORE NEWS YOU NEED ????️
- Pol discloses ICE-tied stock: U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson has been a vocal critic of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the Chicago area, but he’s also banking on shares of Palantir, a data analysis company that’s helping the Trump administration deport people.
- Family mourns educator: Linda Brown, a Chicago Public Schools special education teacher, died after being reported missing more than a week ago.
- Out of the Loop?: Michael Edwards, head of the member-based business organization Chicago Loop Alliance, is stepping down after 13 years.
- New neighborhood proposal: A developer has followed up on promises to propose Foundry Park, a new North Side neighborhood that would blend urban density with open space and walkable streets. Its location? Property once due for the Lincoln Yards dream.
CITY HALL ????️
2020 vision: Chicago taxpayers could soon be on the hook for $875,000 to compensate demonstrators who claim they were manhandled and beaten by Chicago police officers during civil unrest that in some instances devolved into looting after the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
Key context: A scathing report by the inspector general’s office found the Chicago Police Department had been "outflanked, under-equipped and unprepared" for the civil unrest — and the settlement the City Council’s Finance Committee will be asked to approve Wednesday is the latest example.
What's alleged: The lawsuit similarly holds that Chicago cops "responded to these protests with brutal, violent, and unconstitutional tactics that were clearly intended to injure and silence protesters."
EDUCATION ????
As CPS grapples with absenteeism crisis, new study shows what may help
By Sarah Karp and Emmanuel Camarillo
Imperfect attendance: The number of middle school and high school students missing an astronomical 18 days or more of school shot up during the pandemic and has remained stubbornly high, but a new study finds some city schools are more successful than others in getting teens to show up.
Key context: The continued elevated level of absenteeism is often attributed to factors outside of a school’s control, like students' struggles with mental health, homelessness and lack of transportation. But a University of Chicago study finds that students attend more when they feel safe, have friends at their school and have strong relationships with teachers.
Bottom line: School climates "strongly" influence attendance, study co-author Marisa de la Torre said.
New calendar: Relatedly, CPS has released its 2026-2027 calendar. The current school year ends June 4 and next school year is scheduled to start Aug. 24 — meaning 81 days of vacation this summer.
CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD ????
Today's clue: 4A: Civic ___ Building (arts center that resembles a giant chair)
BRIGHT ONE ????
Audience is howling and drooling over Filament Theatre’s latest show
By Stefano Esposito
Portage Park’s Filament Theatre is trying a novel approach for its latest show: The audience is allowed — even encouraged — to howl, take over the stage, drool, and snooze if they wish.
A couple of audience members last Wednesday even burped, prompting cooing from the actors.
To experience this spectacle for yourself, you need to be of an age at which walking is still a future aspiration — or be the carer of someone at that stage of life.
"This space was created specifically for you and your baby. This is not a place where you need to worry about your baby crying or things like that," said Ellie Levine, the director of "RAIN: for babies and their carers."
"RAIN," which runs through Feb. 2, had a final preview Wednesday.
"All of the focus should be on the babies. I‘ve told our cast that there is nothing in the performance that is more important than the babies having a safe and enjoyable time," Levine said.
The show — which originated with Australia’s Threshold theater — is part art installation, part performance and 100% adorable. "RAIN" is intended for a maximum of 10 babies and their adult companions, or "carers" as they say in Australia.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
What's something superstitious you do for every Bears game — and does it work?
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