Adriana Pérez

In Chicago, immigrants who thought they were following the legal path are also facing deportation under Trump crackdown If immigrants entered the country illegally or are without granted status, attorneys say they have no protections under a second Trump administration.

Important story: In Chicago, immigrants who thought they were following the legal path are also facing deportation under Trump crackdown. By @adrianaperez.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/05/i...

As masked government functionaries invade Chicago neighborhoods on behalf of Trump, members of the clergy stand up and bear witness: @tesskenny.bsky.social @adrianaperez.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/28/i...

Pritzker: "In any other country, if federal agents fired upon journalists & protesters when unprovoked what would we call it? If officials marched down streets harassing civilians & demanding their papers, what would we say? I don't think we'd have trouble calling it what it is: authoritarianism"

Police investigate after CBS Chicago reporter’s truck shot out with a pepper ball outside ICE facility in Broadview The alleged shooting happened the same day a journalist was released after being detained by federal immigration agents while covering a protest outside the ICE facility Saturday.

Police investigate after CBS Chicago reporter’s truck shot out with a pepper ball outside ICE facility in Broadview, a day after an independent journalist was detained by agents while covering a protest there. For @chicagotribune.com:

A protester talks to U.S. Border Patrol agents near the Newberry Library in Chicago’s Gold Coast on Sept. 28, 2025, after they walked through downtown as part of an immigration blitz show of force. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Roughly 20 bystanders and passersby started following the officers through downtown Chicago, chanting “ICE, go home!”

The crowd of protesters around them grew bigger, yelling “shame.”

📝 @adrianaperez.bsky.social + Cam'ron Hardy
📷 @briancassella.bsky.social

www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/28/i...

Reportedly some ICE detainees are held for days, even up to a week. Our room stank of sweat & pepper ball powder after just a few hours. Their room appeared dirty, filled with men dressed for labor, trying to get comfortable to sleep in chairs or on the cold floor in the cinder block room.

I saw one man sitting in the room who had gauze wrapped around his head like he had a serious head wound. The room looked uncomfortably full at half "capacity." Keep in mind, this is seating capacity. Imagine a conference room with max capacity 80, and then holding people in there for days.

Their rooms were maybe 30x30. Each room was marked with a sign reading "Capacity: 83" (I think, it was low 80s). There were roughly 40 men in one room, with an open bathroom area to the side. It was harder to get a look at the women's holding room, but looked like 10-12 women.

Yes, arresting a journalist for doing their job is a big flashing red light. But I don't want people to forget the whole reason everyone is out there.

This is what I saw inside:

Four holding rooms. Two smaller rooms were being used for holding protesters. Two larger rooms held ICE/CBP captives.

I’m out, I'm sore. I'll have more later, but right now I have to say a couple of things. First, walking out of there to learn about the kindness, support, and quick action from so many of you all has meant the world to me, my wife, and co-founder, Raven. Thank you.

As fear of ICE arrests grips immigrants across Chicago, faith leaders offer resources and moral support Faith leaders are on the front lines with demonstrators, attending rallies and protests and providing safe spaces for immigrants.

As fear of ICE arrests grips immigrants across Chicago, faith leaders offer resources and moral support. With brilliant @tesskenny.bsky.social for @chicagotribune.com:

Jane Goodall returns to Chicago, where she pivoted from studying chimpanzees to conservation efforts 40 years ago The Lincoln Park Zoo brought the 91-year-old conservation activist back to the city this weekend, and her commitment remains as strong as ever.

Jane Goodall’s lifelong studies into chimpanzees began six decades ago, when she set foot on the shores of Gombe Stream National Park along Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania.

But it was later, at a 1986 conference on chimpanzees in Chicago, that she would experience a pivotal moment in her work.

Elgin man who is a US citizen was briefly detained in latest Chicago-area ICE blitz An Elgin man who was born in Texas said he was handcuffed and placed in a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol vehicle, as part of the latest Chicago-area ICE blitz.

An Elgin man who was born in the United States said he was handcuffed, questioned and placed in a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol vehicle before dawn, part of a blitz of immigration enforcement activity reported in the Chicago area early Tuesday.

Jane Goodall returns to Chicago, where she pivoted from studying chimpanzees to conservation efforts 40 years ago The Lincoln Park Zoo brought the 91-year-old conservation activist back to the city this weekend, and her commitment remains as strong as ever.

Got to hang out with Jane Goodall two days last week and ask her some questions. (Can't believe I just typed that.)

A little bit about her return to Chicago, where in 1986 she pivoted from studying chimpanzees to advocating for their conservation. For @chicagotribune.com:

Surging number of data centers around the Great Lakes could lead to water shortages, report says The region is not prepared for the unprecedented demand from data centers and other big users like agriculture.

There are more than 200 water-hungry data centers in Illinois. Only Virginia, Texas and California have more, @adrianaperez.bsky.social writes.

"These companies are moving into small towns, threatening to deplete municipal water supplies, wells and groundwater."

Flower vendor arrested at launch of Trump’s ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ deported to Mexico Bystanders filmed federal immigration agents arresting the Leodegario Martinez Barradas last Sunday.

A flower vendor arrested by federal immigration agents last weekend in Chicago’s Archer Heights neighborhood is now back in Mexico.

“He doesn’t understand how all of this happened. We don’t either.”

📝 @lauranrodriguez.bsky.social and @adrianaperez.bsky.social

Grand Calumet River cleanup efforts making headway, but more work is needed The pollutants that were pumped into the river, unregulated for decades, pose the biggest threat to its ecosystem.

“It was a very messed-up river,” Indiana state ecologist tells @adrianaperez.bsky.social, who notes industrial pollution remains a huge problem in a unique ecosystem near Lake Michigan.

Surging number of data centers around the Great Lakes could lead to water shortages, report says The region is not prepared for the unprecedented demand from data centers and other big users like agriculture.

Great reporting from @adrianaperez.bsky.social

"For instance, a data center that could require 3 million gallons of water a day has been proposed in the village of Minooka near Joliet, an area that expects its groundwater supply to dry up in the next five years."

Surging number of data centers around the Great Lakes could lead to water shortages, report says The region is not prepared for the unprecedented demand from data centers and other big users like agriculture.

Surging number of data centers around the Great Lakes could lead to water shortages. Important story from @adrianaperez.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/10/g...

Pollen season is lasting longer, worsening allergies and altering pollinators Pollen has concentrated in the city over the past three weeks, mostly from ragweed. Wednesday counts were the highest recorded so far this year — the last time the area had so much ragweed was in 2…

Confused about why you’ve been sneezing so much? Why there are so many bees and yellowjackets outdoors?

Climate change is making pollen season last longer, worsening allergies and altering pollinators. For @chicagotribune.com:

Grand Calumet River cleanup efforts making headway, but more work is needed The pollutants that were pumped into the river, unregulated for decades, pose the biggest threat to its ecosystem.

The Grand Calumet River's 13 miles meander across northwest Indiana, flanked by old and new industries, such as steel mills, meatpackers and oil refineries, which dumped a noxious mix of heavy metals and chemicals into its waters before federal regulations.

Trump says he won’t fund invasive carp barrier unless Pritzker ‘asks.’ But the money has already been set aside. A $1.15 billion project at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River in Joliet will target silver and bighead carp.

'Until I get that request from that guy, I’m not going to do anything about it.' Trump says he won’t fund invasive carp barrier unless Pritzker 'asks.' But the money has already been set aside. And officials from his administration visited the project site last month. For @chicagotribune.com:

Bacteria closed hundreds of Great Lakes beaches in 2024. Here’s what you need to know before jumping into Lake Michigan. In 2024, over 300 beaches across the Great Lakes closed to visitors or issued swim bans or advisories due to the presence of bacteria in the water — mostly E. coli.

Bacteria closed hundreds of Great Lakes beaches in 2024. Here’s what you need to know before jumping into Lake Michigan. More good work from @adrianaperez.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/22/l...

From gray to green: Across Chicago, dozens of concrete schoolyards transformed into community hubs and flooding solutions Spaces transformed to address heavy rains in neighborhoods vulnerable to flooding, particularly on the South and West sides.

From gray to green: Across Chicago, a @healthyschoolscampaign.org program has transformed dozens of concrete schoolyards into community hubs and flooding solutions.

For @chicagotribune.com:

Trump EPA moves to eliminate landmark scientific rule that’s the basis for climate regulations In Illinois and the rest of the country, extreme heat, flooding and tornadoes have accelerated with climate change. Critics vow to sue.

Trump EPA moves to eliminate landmark scientific rule that’s the basis for climate regulations. Here's what that means for Illinois. For @chicagotribune.com:

Extreme heat can pose a danger to baseball players and fans. It’s also changing the physics of the game. Researchers have found that warmer, less dense air lets batted baseballs fly farther — leading to a slight but measurable increase in home runs.

Extreme heat can pose a danger to baseball players and fans.

It's also changing the physics of the game.

“It seems to be pretty well-established that the 1-degree Fahrenheit (increase) is worth about 1% more home runs.”

📝 @adrianaperez.bsky.social and Kalen Lumpkins

Weiss Hospital braces for 2 more weeks without AC; inpatient unit evacuated Temperatures inside rose to 90 degrees as most of the 45 patients at Weiss were moved to the hospital's sister facility, West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park.

It’s not the first Chicago area hospital to have this happen this summer. In June, the Sun-Times reported Weiss Memorial had to evacuate patients after an AC failure that lasted 2+ weeks.

Rush temporarily loses air conditioning, forcing the ER to go on bypass and appointments to be canceled A chilled water line in the Center’s Tower building went down. While the damage was repaired quickly, it created a delay in cooling that drastically affected the HVAC system and other equipme…

Rush Medical Center temporarily loses air conditioning, forcing ER to go on bypass and canceled appointments. This while Chicago is under a heat advisory, with the heat index expected to peak at 102 degrees. @katweaver42.bsky.social reports:

Damaging, golf ball-size hail will fall more frequently because of climate change, Illinois researchers warn Insurance companies have reported rising hail damage claims from homeowners due to severe storms.

Last year, State Farm customers in Illinois reported $638 million in hail damage, ranking the state 2nd after Texas.

And damaging, golf ball-size hail will only fall more frequently because of climate change, NIU researchers warn. For @chicagotribune.com: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/28/d...

Extreme heat can pose a danger to baseball players and fans.

It's also changing the physics of the game.

“It seems to be pretty well-established that the 1-degree Fahrenheit (increase) is worth about 1% more home runs.”

📝 @adrianaperez.bsky.social and Kalen Lumpkins