Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth

No matter what happens in the coming weeks, we are Chicago. We rose from the ashes. We never quit.&10;&10;We are the lake in the morning, the sun rising over the water, its reflection drawing a line straight to our shores.&10;&10;We are the Haymarket Martyrs, the Pullman strikers, always demanding better than what we've got.&10;&10;We are the words of Sandburg and Algren and Brooks and Wright.&10;&10;We are the 90s Bulls, making the impossible possible.&10;&10;We are the dipped Italian Beef. Messy, sure, but incredible.&10;&10;We are the humidity in the summer, the frostbitten cheeks in the winter.&10;&10;We are smoke-kissed rib tips.&10;&10;We are elotes on the street. We are pierogis in a pot.&10;&10;We are Curtis singing Hush now child.

Tonight of all nights I’m going to re-up my benediction for Chicago.

We are everything.

dansinker.com/posts/202…

The thing that makes me the sickest is that these folks don’t even have a shred of compassion. It’s one thing to enforce laws and rules. It’s another to do it gleefully and celebrate the suffering of someone born into poverty and desperation

There has to be a Zoning nerd willing to make their life hell

Brighton Park Gas Station Worker Cheered After Giving Out Supplies To Protesters Tear-Gassed By Feds: 'We Have To Be Human' Gas station employee Narendra Byrapuneni helped protesters who sought refuge in his Brighton Park store Saturday after they were hit with tear gas by federal agents near the site of fatal shooting by Border Patrol agents.

Brighton Park Gas Station Worker Cheered After Giving Out Supplies To Protesters Tear-Gassed By Feds: ‘We Have To Be Human’

#BlockClubChicago

ICE admits that up to 50% of arrests in its Chicago raids are "collateral.” These aren't statistics. They are parents taken from their children, neighbors taken from our communities. When does a "collateral" U.S. citizen child's trauma matter? This isn't law enforcement; it's a campaign of terror.

it’s challenging being a Black-owned newsroom during this time of anti-DEI and political attacks, but we persevere. that’s what our ancestors did.

if you can, consider making a contribution — big or small — to fuel our reporting on Chicago.

if you know a $$$ person in your life, spread the word.

A thing I think it’s important for USians not in currently-occupied cities to grasp is that the normal and everyday goes on alongside the violent and unprecedented.

In Chicago right now you can be forced off teargas-soaked streets in the morning and have a peaceful evening picnic on the lake.

Living these contradictions makes it hard to trust one’s own perception of reality, but this is exactly what life is under occupation. It has been documented many, many times, in histories ranging from the ancient to the still-ongoing, all over the globe.

Name it for what it is — because Chicago is certainly occupied territory right now; not conclusively and not always effectively, yet undeniably host to hostile armed forces — and don’t let the reality of the peaceful or the beautiful or the everyday make you deny the occupation, or vice versa.

Fam, this is a challenging moment. We (as reporters) are trying to balance urgency of news & amplification of resistance narratives with not assisting in putting people in prison. It's tough for everyone right now with how fast videos go viral. There's a lot we are not sharing.

The “Little Village is quiet because of ICE” talk gets exaggerated sometimes. But it’s bad today. Stopped at one of the liveliest local spots after taking my mom to church and it’s dead.

Correct date on this graphic bsky.app/profile/leni...

Here’s the corrected graphic thanks bsky.app/profile/leni...

Statement on Abuse of Power of ICE and Other Federal Agents in Chicago

Black text on white background Statement on Abuse of Power of ICE and Other Federal Agents in Chicago On October 3, 2026 Alderwoman Jessie Fuentes (26th) witnessed ICE agents attempting to detain a patient at a clinic in her ward - a patient seeking medical care after ICE allegedly used excessive force and broke his leg. When Ald. Fuentes asked the agents for an arrest warrant - a basic constitutional requirement - they refused and instead unjustifiably put her in handcuffs. Showing a warrant before detention is not optional; it's a cornerstone of constitutional law. And yet, ICE agents continue to ignore this requirement. This is not new, nor is it an isolated incident. ICE agents continue to violate civil liberties with impunity, and if we continue to allow this erosion of due process to go unchecked, we risk undermining the foundation of our democracy. Due process is not negotiable. We will not stay silent. We must stand together to demand accountability. What's playing out day-by-day is a warning that we must organize and not relent. Speak out and show up. Go to ICE watch trainings. Learn your rights so you can protect the rights of those around you. And we, as members of the City Council hold firm that it will take a coalition all of us, united across racial and ethnic communities, political leanings, ages and socioeconomic status, to stand up to the disturbing pattern of abuse from ICE and the federal government, and the complete disregard for the rights we hold as Americans.

List of elected officials

Statement on Abuse of Power of ICE and Other Federal Agents in Chicago

Federal agents knock down elderly couple during Portland protest An 84-year-old said she sustained a concussion and was hit with a projectile after she and her husband, a Vietnam vet, were knocked down by federal officers.

An 84-year-old said she sustained a concussion and was hit with a projectile after she and her husband, a Vietnam vet, were knocked down by federal officers.

NO KINGS National Rally | We Can Lead Change Keep the building the momentum and join We Can Lead Change, Fox Valley Activists, Fox Valley Rising Indivisible, HIKE Indivisible and others to the National NO KINGS rally/protest on October 18th. 11:...

Joining you in Geneva, IL!

Stand with Julian: Medical and Legal Aid Needed www.gofundme.com/f/stand-with...

notice taped to a shuttered storefront claire's NOTICE OF STORE CLOSURE To Our Valued Customers, This Claire's location has been permanently closed. The decision reflects both external pressures & internal restructuring. In recent months, repeated attacks of ridicule by radical left agitators have gone beyond mere criticism, escalating into a deliberate effort to destabilize our company - conduct we recognize as Domestic Economic Terrorism. At the same time, our transition under new private equity ownership required difficult financial choices. Protecting the stability of shareholders was prioritized, & this store - along with its local workforce - was deemed expendable in service of that obligation. Despite these challenges, Claire's remains committed to our identity as a traditional American company rooted in values of family & community. We will not be silenced by those who attempt to undermine that mission, & we continue to move forward with confidence in our future. Here at Claire's, we look forward to working with the current administration to reinvigorate our brand presence across the United States, ensuring that we remain a part of American life for generations to come. We invite you to continue supporting Claire's by shopping online at www.claires.com Thank you for your attention to this matter. Claire's Stores, Inc. 2400 West Central Road, Hoffman Estates, IL 60192| Claire's Stores, Inc. |CBI Distributing Corp.

love when it’s the radical left, not private equity, to blame

Stand with Julian: Medical and Legal Aid Needed www.gofundme.com/f/stand-with...

A known CBP officer chokes a young man who said mean things to him.

A post on IG that identifies the CBP officer who choked and assaulted the young man. It states "The Department of Homeland Security recently sent Meta a Subpoena demanding to identify @stopicenet , @longbeachrapidresponse , and other instagram accounts who reported on Simeon last month. The subpoena referenced a “criminal investigation” noting “officer safety / doxxing.” A federal court has since issued a temporary order blocking the Subpoena from DHS. This is certainly not the first time we have seen ICE / Border Patrol agents violently attack people for exercising their First Amendment rights. These attacks are part of a larger pattern of intimidation designed to “punish” anyone who speaks out against the unconstitutional and reckless raids currently occupying and terrorizing our communities. It is your LEGAL RIGHT to observe, record and document any law enforcement activity in plainly visible spaces. We will continue exercising our First Amendment rights in the interest of free speech, legal transparency and public reporting. Stay aware, stay alert, be vigilant. 
Report ICE activity directly from your phone at WWW.STOPICE.NET / @stopicenet 
Text “JOIN” to 877-322-2299 to get local alerts
Text “REPORT” to send an alert Text “RADAR” w/ zipcode to check ICE activity nearby"

Activists in L.A. identified this CBP officer earlier this yr. Today, he choked, body slammed and detained a young man in Chicago. What's particularly fashy about this moment is that CBP officers get to commit crimes w/ impunity and people who tell you their identities are charged with felonies.

it should be protected first amendment speech to warn fellow citizens about a federal officer who has plausibly committed felony assault with documented evidence of said assault

and yet

@govpritzker.illinois.gov

37 and Kedzie, East Garfield, Illinois.

This is assault.

This is Brighton Park, the neighborhood where a U.S. Border Patrol agent also shot a woman earlier today. It is a predominantly Latine community on the southwest side.

Muñoz, OP township trustee, detained and released by ICE - Wednesday Journal Juan Muñoz, an Oak Parker who serves as an Oak Park Township Trustee, was detained by ICE Friday as he took part in a protest at the immigration detention center in Broadview.

This is harrowing. This Oak Park Trustee says he was "pulled to the ground" by Gregory Bovino personally at Broadview and later put "on display" for Kristi Noem inside the facility grounds.

www.oakpark.com/2025/10/04/m...

For every horrific act of fascist abuse you’ve seen video of in recent months, there are hundreds that you’ll never even hear about.

Not my normal spot for an interview: the bike lane.

I talked with Mayor Brandon Johnson about cycling in Chicago. Here's how he sees bike infrastructure fitting into the city, told by him from atop a Divvy bike to @chicagotribune.com (part 1/2):

U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez released statement on particularly chaotic day and chaotic week:

ICE is out of control. ICE is operating with impunity outside the confines of the law. ICE is trampling our rights. ICE is terrorizing our communities.

NEWS: Trump is federalizing 300 National Guard troops in Illinois, Gov. Pritzker announced.

More feds and protesters have arrived. Maybe 100 neighbors here now. Close to 50 Feds. Agents appear armed with a full assortment of chemical munitions.

Protesters moved 30+ feet back as agents with tear gas launchers moved to the front line.

It’s also 86° in Chicago rn.