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It’s Wednesday. Read the latest from WTTW News on Trump’s foreign policy in South America, bird-friendly moves at a new stadium and more.
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Protesters gather outside an ICE processing facility in the Chicago suburb of Broadview, Ill., Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo / Nam Y. Huh) |
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The population of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in west suburban Broadview has plummeted in recent weeks as federal agents have begun exiting Chicago and a court order has mandated improvements to living conditions at the facility.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Johnson in a hearing Tuesday said there are currently only four people being held at the Broadview facility, a drastic reduction that comes weeks after detainees there testified they had been crammed into rooms filled with more than 100 people for multiple days.
The decline in population comes as federal immigration agents sent to the area as part of the Trump administration’s “Operation Midway Blitz” enforcement efforts have begun leaving Chicago ahead of a possible return in the spring.
“I guess they just can’t take our winters,” U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman said Tuesday. “I don’t blame them.”
More than 3,200 people suspected of violating immigration laws have been arrested in and around Chicago during the operation. But its intensity has begun to subside as Homeland Security officials have confirmed that a new immigration enforcement surge has begun in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Some backstory:
The Broadview facility — which serves as a processing facility where detainees are supposed to be held for only a few hours before being moved to a detention facility elsewhere — has drawn widespread protests in recent months.
Tuesday’s hearing was part of a class-action lawsuit brought last month by the MacArthur Justice Center and the ACLU of Illinois, who sought a temporary restraining order to address what advocates claim are “inhumane and unlawful conditions” at the Broadview facility.
Gettleman granted that order following a daylong hearing earlier this month in which several former Broadview detainees testified that they were crammed into overstuffed holding rooms with dozens of others, had difficulty contacting their families or attorneys and weren’t able to shower or change their clothes sometimes for multiple days. |
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A rendering of the proposed Chicago Fire stadium, which is being planned as an anchor of The 78, Related Midwest’s 62-acre development of a former rail yard on the South Branch of the Chicago River. (Courtesy Chicago Fire FC and Gensler) |
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The Chicago Fire FC’s proposed stadium at The 78 is expected to spur development at the long vacant 62-acre site in the South Loop along the South Branch of the Chicago River. Environmentalists are hopeful the stadium will serve as a different kind of catalyst.
Tucked into the Fire’s presentation to the Chicago Plan Commission back in September was a commitment to “enhanced bird protections” — a set of building guidelines adopted in 2024 as part of updates to the city’s Sustainable Development Policy.
“Key features will include bird-friendly glass and other protective design elements aimed at safeguarding local wildlife,” a Chicago Fire spokesperson told WTTW News via email.
More context:
The win was a surprise victory for the Bird Friendly Chicago coalition, which has spent years protesting construction practices that lead to untold thousands of bird deaths per year due to building collisions. The Fire stadium’s location on the Chicago River — a known magnet for birds — makes it a particularly sensitive site.
Audrey Vicks is among a small group of Bird Friendly Chicago volunteers that has been monitoring Plan Commission meetings for the past year, ever since the new enhanced bird protections went into effect.
These protections are part of a suite of sustainability options developers can select from to reach a target required of certain projects. According to city officials, roughly half of all projects subject to the policy are choosing bird-friendly mitigations, with the Fire stadium being the highest profile building to do so to date.
"When they (the Fire) set that example, when they chose to do the right thing,” Vicks said, “it makes a stronger case. And now when the commissioners see that developments are able to choose bird-friendly and it’s not going to cost them a fortune and it’s not going to derail their project, they are now holding these developers to a higher standard.” |
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Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias says Illinois residents will be able to add their Illinois-issued driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet during an announcement event in the West Loop on Nov. 18, 2025. (WTTW News) |
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Starting Wednesday, Illinois residents will be able to add their Illinois-issued driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced Tuesday.
“For anyone who’s ever left the house without their wallet, fumbled for their ID at airport security or wished government services were just a little more modern, today changes everything,” Giannoulias said during an Apple-style announcement event in the West Loop.
The launch of digital IDs in Illinois means residents with an iPhone or Apple Watch can present their mobile ID at select businesses and at TSA checkpoints at more than 250 airports in the U.S., including O’Hare and Midway, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. Mobile IDs are also able to update in real time, Giannoulias said.
The Mobile ID program will also “soon” expand to Google and Samsung wallets, according to Giannoulias’ office.
FYI:
A mobile ID does not replace a physical ID or driver’s license, the Secretary of State’s Office cautioned, and residents must continue to carry their physical ID or license. Giannoulias said residents must carry their physical driver’s license if they are driving. |
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Back in the Day: Nov. 19, 2015 - Judge Orders Release of Laquan McDonald Footage |
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Ten years ago today, a Cook County judge ordered the release of footage related to the killing of Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old Chicagoan who was shot 16 times by a White police officer during a stop on the Southwest Side on Oct. 20, 2014. McDonald’s death sparked outrage, and for months the city attempted to block the release of police video documenting the incident. After Judge Franklin Valderrama ordered the release of the footage, the city relented. Once the video was publicly released, which did not contain audio but showed McDonald walking away from the police before he was shot, hundreds of people protested downtown Chicago with more gatherings held the following day. Jason Van Dyke, the officer convicted of second-degree murder in the case, was sentenced to prison in January 2019 and released on good behavior in 2022. |
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Chicago-Area Live Music Recommendations for Nov. 19-25 |
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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, Nov. 20:
Elizabeth Moen at Color Club. Tickets.
This Chicago singer-songwriter with a powerhouse voice plays two shows this weekend, kicking things off at the Irving Park venue.
Natural Information Society at Constellation. Tickets.
The local experimental jazz ensemble just released an acclaimed new LP called “Perseverance Flow.”
Saintseneca, Radiator Hospital, Oyeme at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
The Ohio folk rock outfit hasn’t lost a step with “Highwalllow & Supermoon Songs,” their first album since 2018.
Friday, Nov. 21:
Joan Shelley at Constellation. Tickets.
It’s an evening with the excellent Michigan via Kentucky folk artist.
Friday, Nov. 21, Saturday, Nov. 22 and Tuesday, Nov. 25:
Billy Corgan at Lyric Opera House. Tickets.
The Smashing Pumpkins frontman teams up with Lyric Opera of Chicago to celebrate 30 years of his band’s classic album “Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness.”
Saturday, Nov. 22:
Glyders, Axis: Sova at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
This psychedelic rock outfit from Chicago celebrates a new album that’s their best yet.
Elizabeth Moen at Timber Lanes. Tickets.
This Chicago singer-songwriter with a powerhouse voice plays two shows this weekend, ending the run at a cash-only bowling alley. Yes, your ticket price for the 9:30 p.m. concert includes a round of bowling.
Half Gringa, Emily Jane Powers at Schubas. Tickets.
Songwriter Izzy Olive thoughtfully bridges worlds and genres.
Sunday, Nov. 23:
Phil Cook at FitzGerald’s. Tickets.
The veteran North Carolina songwriter returns to the Chicago area for a matinee show, which kicks off at 4 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 24 and Tuesday, Nov. 25:
Paul McCartney at United Center. Tickets for Monday and Tuesday.
The rock ’n’ roll legend has been playing shows in the city since 1964. Sixty-one years later, he’s still got it. Note: The available tickets are resale and very expensive.
Tuesday, Nov. 25:
Santah, Marrow at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
After nearly a decade away, two Chicago bands reunite for a special show in Ukrainian Village.
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What's your favorite Thanksgiving dessert? Tell us where you can get it in Chicago.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. |
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5:30 PM | 11:00 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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