40%+ of all people arrested were citizens of Mexico Most weren’t charged with a crime. Many have already been deported. Though ICE has said it rarely detains unaccompanied children, its records show kids as young as 4 and 6 were arrested in Illinois this year. blockclubchicago.org/2025/12/23/i...

Hector Leon Perez was detained on Oct. 18. By noon the next day, he was on a plane. His family didn't know where he was; lawyers scrambled to file a special petition for his release. This has become a common story since ICE effectively revoked bond in June. blockclubchicago.org/2025/12/18/l...

Border Patrol is back. "Law enforcement agencies in the area have been alerted that Bovino and about 200 Border Patrol agents have arrived in Chicago for more enforcement action, sources said." blockclubchicago.org/2025/12/16/b...

Video shows him during a raid in Little Village saying to Border Patrol Agents "My regards for all of you and the work that you guys are doing... God bless you guys.” At the time he was Director of Community Outreach at Little Village Chamber of Commerce. blockclubchicago.org/2025/12/03/l...

[Judge Ellis] repeatedly found testimony by Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino... not credible. Bovino was evasive, either giving “cute” answers to attorney’s questions or outright lying, the judge said in her [233-page] ruling. blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/25/f... 📝 @minabloom.bsky.social

Immigration experts say the federal government has no comprehensive system to track minors who are separated from their parents upon detention or deportation. Some...have been taken in by relatives or trusted caretakers. Others could end up in foster care. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/22/c...

Proud of the team at @illinoisanswers.bsky.social "Making it in Chicago" won a Chicago Journalists Association Award for *Innovative Storytelling* We all poured so much into the project to tell these important stories: makingitinchicago.illinoisanswers.org chicagojournalists.net/2025/11/19/c...

"Her son cried for his father and refused to eat the food served in jail. He lost weight. She said that other women who were incarcerated with them bought the boy ramen noodles from the commissary so he wouldn’t go hungry." www.propublica.org/article/chic... ✍️ @melissa-sanchez.bsky.social

Feds used chemical weapons on protesters at least 49 times across 18 incidents since Oct 1. And at least 30 times after a judge placed restrictions on its use. Contrary to federal claims about attacks on agents, most of these incidents appear to involve nonviolent protesters or bystanders.

"Of the 16 arrestees with criminal histories — or about 2.6% of the 614 people — five involved domestic battery, two were related to drunken driving, and one allegedly had an unidentified criminal history in another country." www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/14/o...

Happy to announce I've joined the @blockclubchi.bsky.social investigative team 'The Watch' as investigative editor. I look grumpy in the photo, but I'm stoked to work with a dope team of journalists & at an outlet with such deep roots in Chicago communities. blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/14/i...

Officials have revealed little about what led to the arrests. State Police haven’t fulfilled records requests for incident reports. Court records don’t include many details & few of the protesters arrested have appeared in court. @blockclubchi.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/12/p...

Found unfit for trail, people with mental illnesses are spending months in jails, waiting for room at hospitals where they can be restored to fitness. Some of them are waiting longer than their sentences would be Some of them have died waiting... ✍ @meredithnewman.bsky.social 🎨 Kailey Ryan

While Border Patrol photographers snapped photos, one agent shouted, “Everyone say, ‘Little Village!’” “Little Village!” the crowd shouted back... Agents tear-gassed a Little Village street this weekend. blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/10/b... 📝📸 @colinbphoto.bsky.social

"Several teachers fled with a student and hid in a back of a pickup truck, 'terrified of being found,' Meadow said. 'They weren’t sure what was going on. ICE, an attack on the school — they didn’t know,' Meadow said."

The incident happened in front of parents and children, Martin and a parent said. Other workers became afraid to come in, and the daycare center closed for the day, parents said. blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/05/d... 📝 @mollydevore.bsky.social & Mack Liederman

Thank you! Thrilled our project could be among so many great finalists!

Also congrats to @cplhouse.bsky.social @rubybailey.bsky.social, @illinoisanswers.bsky.social team & the @southsideweekly.bsky.social team for the Making It in Chicago nom! Proud the Reader was able to republish several of these stories makingitinchicago.illinoisanswers.org

Broadview ICE facility a ‘black box’ where immigrants denied access to lawyers, medicine: lawsuit Story by @bylaurenfitz.bsky.social: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

A loophole lets counties spend millions in transit taxes not on transit...but on jails & courts Now, to save Chicago transit from cuts, lawmakers want to use those funds. The idea met a fierce backlash. 📝 @gracehauck.bsky.social & @alexnitkin.bsky.social illinoisanswers.org/2025/10/28/l...

Solid play-by-play on Bovino's hearing today by @heathercherone.bsky.social

"Ellis told Bovino that she wanted to see him every day during the immigration operation so he could report to her on any incidents that occurred. 'Yes, ma’am,' Bovino said." blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/28/j... 📝 @minabloom.bsky.social

“Tricia McLaughlin said protesters “shot at agents” with fireworks and threw objects at agents [and] Agents...gave protesters multiple warnings. The video of the incident does not show protesters throwing rocks or fireworks at agents, nor can agents be heard warning protesters.”

News outlets were nearly unanimous in rejecting new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that would leave journalists vulnerable to expulsion if they sought to report on information — classified or otherwise — that had not been approved by Hegseth for release. apnews.com/article/pent...

The latest on Chicago's "worst landowner" from Mina Bloom and @ctoner.bsky.social. "Nobody wanted most of the properties... That leaves the city without the money it anticipated and homeowners still saddled with weed-strewn vacant lots." blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/15/h...

This CPD memo went out 1:53 p.m. today. Feds deployed gas, that we know of, on October 3 in Logan Square, October 4 in Brighton Park, October 12 in Albany Park, and October 14 (today) in East Side.

An interesting follow-up to our "Making it in Chicago" reporting on ADUs in Chicago. After years of stalled progress, thousands more homeowners will be able to build coach houses...as long as their alderperson approves it @alexnitkin.bsky.social reports. illinoisanswers.org/2025/09/25/c...

"Whatever else we have going on in our newsroom, investigations have to be a priority." - Todd Eschman

Now: Todd Eschman, EIC at Belleville News Democrat (BND) in downstate IL on"Investigations from a small newsroom perspective" BND had 67 journalists less than a decade ago. Today? 9. "Enterprising journalism has to be baked into the culture of the newsroom." illinoisanswers.org/event/invest...

Great insights at our "Investigate the State" virtual conference. Right now: "How to cover Indian Country (and other communities) when there isn't any official data" with Mary Hudetz & Dianna Hunt "I treat every investigation as a mini-beat." - @maryhudetz.bsky.social

Our Investigate the State conference is up and running! If you didn't register, you can still sign up and join this free, virtual conference here: illinoisanswers.org/event/invest...

Last chance to register! Come for one session or stay for the whole day. We'll see you there!

Our *virtual* conference is this Thursday. Check out the program and come through for any sessions that interest you. See you soon! illinoisanswers.org/event/invest...

In 2023, a Minnesota homeowner argued that the County violated her Fifth Amendment rights by taking her home and pocketing more than the $15,000 she owed in back taxes. Following the ruling, states rushed to reform their laws to avoid legal fallout. All except Illinois. (🖊️ Sidnee King Pineda)

We're hosting a *virtual* conference for Midwest journalists interested in expanding investigative journalism resources in our region. Come through! And share ideas with investigative journalists and news leaders throughout the Midwest. Register here: illinoisanswers.org/event/invest...

"Official government numbers don't always provide a complete picture of how many immigrants are in detention. But according to ICE, the number of detained immigrants jumped to more than 61,000 as of Aug. 24. And the new federal budget has allocated $45 billion for immigrant detention."

ICYMI some dogged follow-up to the Loretto Hospital scandal from @bauerjournalism.bsky.social‬ blockclubchicago.org/2025/07/22/t... Read the original investigation from Kelly Bauer and David Jackson here: illinoisanswers.org/2021/04/28/c...

When providers care for Mediciad patients, managed care orgs (MCOs) are supposed to reimburse them in 30-90 days. Instead, they're delaying & denying them at rates as high as 60%. Illinois providers say they have to drop Medicaid patients or go out of business illinoisanswers.org/2025/08/05/m...

“Size in baseball never mattered, and if that doesn’t matter, neither does gender. You don’t have to bench 400 pounds to hit a baseball,” Carlton Hondras said. “In the long run, I want them to be recognized as ballpayers, not just girls playing baseball.” blockclubchicago.org/2025/07/18/c...

While you wait for the City Council vote on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) today, read up on how and why "granny flats" have been such a fraught issue in Chicago: illinoisanswers.org/2025/05/27/g... by @alexnitkin.bsky.social

How segregated are your local private schools? With our database, look up the demographics of private schools across the country and see how they compare to the public schools nearby. By @cerealcommas.bsky.social @natlash.bsky.social @bxroberts.org

After investigating the decades of sewage flooding in Cahokia Heights, state investigative reporter @jayohday.bsky.social is back w/ a look into sewage flooding in Carterville & why a new wastewater treatment plant approved years ago still hasn't been built. illinoisanswers.org/2025/07/15/a...

Here at the National Public Housing Museum, where we're talking about our "Making it in Chicago" project. We've got storytelling sessions on affordable housing, violence interrupters, child care subsidies, & student loan debt. First up is Marisa Novara in conversation with @alexnitkin.bsky.social

Officer Carlos A. Baker had over a dozen misconduct complaints by the time he inadvertently shot Krystal Rivera, the 1st Chicago officer killed by “friendly fire” in 40 years. @ctoner.bsky.social @peternickeas.bsky.social and @schuba.bsky.social report. illinoisanswers.org/2025/06/27/c...

Cahokia Heights has been in the news before. The residents there have dealt with sewage flooding their homes for *decades*. But the flooding continues. @jayohday.bsky.social explores what's been done to fix it & why it's still happening throughout S. Illinois. illinoisanswers.org/2025/06/17/w...

Five dozen Southern Illinois towns saw a third of the state’s sewer overflows over the last decade—but shrinking populations and red tape make fixes elusive. Read the investigation: illinoisanswers.org/2025/06/17/w...

Thread to follow on hearing over National Guard deployment in CA

Happening now, State and Madison: Rainbow PUSH coalition members protesting outside the goth Target. Couple dozen people marching a picket line, singing. Reported while waiting to hear how much the company intends to cut our reporting staff. Moments like this demand more journalism, not less.

In case anyone else needed to be enabled this morning

"Granny Flats" have been illegal to build in Chicago for decades, but studies show that it can make an impact in creating affordable housing. For one family, it helped relieve some child care expenses too... @alexnitkin.bsky.social reports on what's been stalling legislation to legalize it.