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Happy Wednesday. Tomorrow is Juneteenth, a federal holiday. Today, we have updates on ICE's plans in Chicago, piping plovers in the northern suburbs and more. |
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U.S. Reps. Jonathan Jackson (left) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (right) speak Tuesday, June 17, 2025, after being denied access to a South Loop ICE facility. (WTTW News) |
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Two Illinois congressmen were turned away Tuesday from a South Loop facility run by federal immigration agents where the congressmen said residents have been summoned via “scammy” texts only to be detained by authorities.
U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Jonathan Jackson attempted to enter the immigration facility, located at 2245 S. Michigan Ave., but said they were only able to make it in to the lobby before being told to leave by a person identifying themselves as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
They said that agent then phoned the Chicago Police Department to have them removed as trespassers.
The congressmen had sought to conduct official oversight at the facility, after both said their constituents had reported immigrant family members receiving texts instructing them to arrive at that location for routine check-ins, only to instead be detained by ICE.
Then this morning, U.S. Reps. Chuy García, Danny Davis and Jackson were denied entry to an ICE processing center in suburban Broadview. In a post on social media, García said they had received reports of immigrants being denied access to attorneys and sleeping on floors.
Some backstory:
In recent days, President Donald Trump has vowed to shift immigration enforcement away from political allies and toward political foes, prioritizing deportations in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and cities at “the core of the Democrat Power Center.”
More immigration news:
City officials will relaunch a campaign to educate Chicagoans about their rights after Trump repeatedly threatened to expand efforts to deport immigrants, Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday.
Chicago officials have no information about when or where federal officials plan to launch those raids, Johnson said.
The campaign aims to educate residents about their rights in the event of being stopped or detained by federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Ads will be displayed on more than 400 screens across the CTA system, officials said.
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A newly hatched piping plover chick checks out the beach in Waukegan under a watchful parent's eye, June 2025. (Courtesy of Carolyn Lueck) |
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Father’s Day took on extra meaning this year for Lake County’s piping plover papa Pepper — he’s a dad again, at least three times over. A trio of plover chicks hatched Sunday on a private Waukegan beach, Carolyn Lueck, president of Lake County Audubon Society and Share Our Shore-Waukegan, announced.
“The team noticed Pepper was fidgeting and making frequent adjustments over the four eggs in the nest. Suddenly, a flash of fluff!” Lueck said. “When the next shift of monitors arrived, they saw not one but three chicks emerging from the nest!”
Plover chicks are what’s known as precocial: They can walk, run and feed themselves within hours of hatching. That means monitors now have at least five plovers to keep an eye on, looking for signs of distress and guarding against predators.
“The plovers will face many challenges over the next few weeks,” Lueck said.
Indeed, while Blaze and Pepper’s three chicks in 2024 all made it to the fledge stage (capable of flight), only one of the four plover chicks that hatched at Chicago’s Montrose Beach last summer survived. Chicago’s plover pair — Imani and Searocket — are on the nest again themselves at Montrose, with hatchlings expected any day.
Some backstory:
Great Lakes piping plovers were placed on the federal endangered species list in the 1980s as their numbers dwindled to roughly a dozen breeding pairs. This year, the Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Effort reported a record number of 82 nests across the Great Lakes, including the two in Illinois. |
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Still from Learenna A. Reynolds’ short film “Raw Head an' Bloody Bone.” (Courtesy of Learenna A. Reynolds) |
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Filmmaker Learenna A. Reynolds, born and raised on the South Side, has a fascination with exploring in her films the cultural influences of what she describes as “the tongue” of Black Chicagoans.
“I love being in conversations with Black Chicagoans from the West Side and South Side, hearing them talk together,” Reynolds said. “I always call Chicago ‘diet Mississippi’ because if you ask any Black Chicagoan, a lot of our family are from Mississippi. It is very country in its different kind of way.”
Those traces of Southern culture adorn Reynolds’ first short film, “Raw Head an’ Bloody Bone,” which was filmed in Chicago and will screen alongside the works of other local filmmakers at the Music Box Theatre next week in celebration of Juneteenth.
The upcoming screening, part of the ongoing short film series “Life Within the Lens,” features works from local filmmakers Sanicole, Ashley Tyler, Donald Conley, Cam Be, stella rae binion, Kin Marie and Reynolds. The Juneteenth installment of the short film series will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmakers. Tickets can be found on the Music Box Theatre’s website. |
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More From WTTW News: |
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Two weeks after announcing a plan to build a privately funded $650 million soccer stadium on the South Branch of the Chicago River, the Chicago Fire has released new renderings of the proposed arena.
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Here are Chicago's 2025 James Beard Award winners.
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Back in the Day: June 18, 1980 - Illinois Fails to Ratify Equal Rights Amendment |
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On this day, 45 years ago, the Illinois House of Representatives failed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution for the seventh time in eight years. First drafted by suffragists Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman and introduced to Congress in 1923, the proposed amendment would have banned discrimination on the basis of sex. After two hours of heated debate, the final vote tally ended up 102 in favor to 71 against, which was five votes short of the majority of 107 needed for approval. For the ERA to be officially ratified, 38 states needed to approve it by 1982 — a Congress-set deadline. When that year passed, only 35 states had ratified the ERA. Illinois eventually ratified the ERA in 2018, becoming the 37th state to do so, and in 2020, Virginia followed suit. Despite the fact that 38 states have ratified the ERA, it’s yet to be officially added to the U.S. Constitution. |
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Chicago-Area Live Music Recommendations for June 18-June 24
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Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.
Thursday, June 19 through Sunday, June 22:
Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Garcia's. Tickets for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
New Orleans legends make the trek up to Chicago’s newest venue for four shows.
Friday, June 20:
Neptune's Core, Moontype at Schubas. Tickets.
Two great, women-led indie rock outfits from Chicago.
Steve Earle at the Vic Theatre. Tickets.
Alt-country pioneer hits Lakeview for a night of solo acoustic tunes and stories from a 50-year career.
Aunt Kelly, Creaturefight, Josephine at Hideout. Tickets.
An all-local bill at Chicago’s coziest venue.
Saturday, June 21:
Cold War Kids, Eggy, Pete Yorn and more at Winnetka Music Festival. Tickets.
Eggy is a fantastic jam band from Connecticut whose drummer and singer, Alex Bailey, hails from Oak Park.
Resavoir & Matt Gold at Constellation. Tickets.
These two local jazz stalwarts team up for a fantastic new album called “Horizon.”
Edith Frost, Sima Cunningham, Fran at Hideout. Tickets.
This songwriter recorded at Chicago’s Loft for her first album in 20 years.
Sunday, June 22:
Sleeper's Bell, Widemouth at Color Club. Tickets.
This stellar Chicago band is fronted by a local librarian.
Young Thug, Chance the Rapper, Saba, G Herbo and more at Summer Smash. Tickets.
Head down to Bridgeview for this weekend-long fest highlighting hip-hop’s biggest names. Its final night showcases several local acts. |
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What’s your favorite neighborhood to visit on Chicago’s South Side? Tell us why. |
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. |
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5:30 PM | 10:00 PM |
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Want more WTTW News content? Follow WTTW on Instagram to check in with us daily, go behind-the-scenes, and more. |
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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