Joanna Klonsky

A Small Illinois City at the Center of a Seismic Shift in Abortion Access

One of the greatest privileges of my job is collaborating with incredible abortion providers across Illinois.
Thanks to our collective work, Illinois remains a critical access point for abortion patients nationwide.

Charges dropped against Lakeview comedy club manager accused of assaulting federal agents Federal prosecutors moved Wednesday to drop charges against a comedy club manager accused of shutting a car door on a federal immigration agent’s leg in the Lakeview neighborhood, the latest …

I missed this earlier... more good news as the Feds once again can't back up their stories with evidence.

How Illinois passed its third big clean-energy bill in a decade Kady McFadden and John Delurey join me to talk about why "fast and cheap" is the new winning message for climate policy.

Today on Volts: while some blue states hedge on their green commitments, Illinois is doubling down, passing its third major energy bill in a decade. Among other things, this one empowers the state's utility regulator to directly procure clean energy. I get into it w/ two of its architects.

Social Security Data Is Openly Being Shared With DHS to Target Immigrants For months, the Social Security Administration was quietly sharing sensitive data about immigrants with DHS. Now it’s official.

NEW: For months, the Social Security Administration was quietly sharing sensitive data about immigrants with DHS. Now it’s official.

read @telliotter.bsky.social:

It is agonizing to now watch another city go through this

Most of the hearing was routine. At one point, however, Straw's attorney, Christopher Parente, lodged a largely symbolic objection over his client having to turn in his passport, calling him a "boring suburban dad" and saying his whole reason for going to the protest in the first place included objecting to the government checking people's passports and papers. Parente said it wasn't fair for Straw "to sit here now and ask him to turn his passport over to the government for no reason other than they think they can," adding that "landscapers arrested by ICE cannot stand up to the government." "Mr. Straw can, and your Honor can, too," Parente said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Mecklenburg said the passport was about bond conditions, not about what ICE is doing on the streets, and that defendants have turned in their passports "in every case I've had for 19 years." After McShain decided Straw did not have to turn in his passport, Mecklenburg said she'd drop the requirement for all defendants to ensure Straw was not receiving special treatment.

I’m going to think about watching this moment unfold in real time for a long time.

for all the horrors coming out of Chicago and its metro area, the principled courage of everyday people, in the face of such intimidation, never ceases to astonish. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/12/k...

More in Chicago ICE legal news today: District Judge Jeremy Daniel has ordered the govt to provide Diana Patricia Santillana Galeano, whom ICE agents dragged out of a Rayito Del Sol daycare on Chicago's north side last Wednesday, with a bond hearing "on or before" Nov. 18.

Good afternoon from Chicago's Federal Plaza. A rally is underway now in support of the "Broadview Six," who face arraignment in about 45 minutes on federal conspiracy and impeding charges, stemming from their participation in a Sept. 26 protest in front of the Broadview, IL ICE facility.

This camp is in El Paso. This is where today’s flight from Gary just landed. It was carrying detainees from ICE’s detention facility in Broadview.

All of DHS’s denials in this story about inhumane conditions and lack of access to attorneys are the same false claims they made about Broadview.

Donate to Help Bring My Dad Home — Detained by ICE, organized by Xavier Rivera My dad has lived in Des Plaines, Illinois for over 30 years. He’s worked hard e… Xavier Rivera needs your support for Help Bring My Dad Home — Detained by ICE

“My dad has lived in Des Plaines, IL for over 30 years. He’s worked hard every single day to support our family and help others. We were just doing landscaping work in downtown Des Plaines when ICE came out of nowhere. They detained my dad and another worker I was held too but eventually let go”

it snowed one time and they’re packing it in

Here’s video of federal agents doing a drive by pepper spraying that hit a father and his one-year old on Saturday when the Feds were hitting Little Village and Cicero

Magistrate judge plans visit to ICE Broadview facility amid lawsuit over conditions The visit has been tentatively planned for Thursday morning, and details will be sorted out early next week.

Magistrate judge plans visit to ICE Broadview facility amid lawsuit over conditions

From @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

New: Pablo Moreno González and Felipe Agustin Zamacona, two men formerly held at the Broadview, IL ICE facility, and now the named plaintiffs in a federal class action alleging inhumane treatment at the facility, are being released from federal custody per a successful habeas petition.

federal agents are back in the skokie/evanston area this morning.

this video, posted to facebook about 10 minutes ago, shows federal agents driving through the williamsburg village subdivision amid construction vehicles parked along the road.

lots of residents out with whistles.

My latest story about how the community at Chappell Elementary in Lincoln Square are trying to help a family after ICE took their dad. It’s a look at the disruption and resistance roiling Chicago
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/07/l...

@ramirez.house.gov says that ICE agents went room to room inside the daycare, looking for teachers to take in front of literal toddlers

‘Like shooting fish in a barrel’ - Chicago Reader Federal agents have repeatedly terrorize rideshare drivers at O’Hare International Airport.

new: federal agents have targeted rideshare drivers at o'hare on at least ten separate days since october 10.

in some cases, agents returned to abduct drivers multiple times in a single day, taking as many as ten to 20 people each time.

via @dmbrown-tboy.bsky.social:

looks like Chicago’s anti-ICE resources and whistle codes have made their way to D.C. (Pilsen Arts and Community House is credited on the bottom)

➡️ Hispana detenida por agentes federales frente a su hija es liberada: aún enfrenta un juicio.

Los detalles 👉 uni.vi/fBYy106pkey

The Torres family reunited. Photos by chris sweda of Ruben Torres, Ofelia, Sandibell and Nathan.

NEWS: Ruben Torres Maldonado is coming home to his wife, sick daughter and four-year old son.

An immigration judge granted the 40-year-old Portage Park man detained by federal immigration agents while his 16-year-old daughter, Ofelia, is undergoing cancer treatment. Story coming

Ruben Torres reunites with his wife in Indiana after being detained by ICE for nearly two weeks. He is headed back to his daughter Ofelia

Statement regarding ice activity in Brighton park At approximately 11:00am a plainclothes agent arrived at rockstar fades asking about available services and mentioning that he would return at 1:00pm during his break to receive a service. However at 11:30am the same agent returned, accompanied by two other officers. The ice agents called for a worker, detained him, and threatened to detain anyone who attempted to intervene. At no points did the agents present a warrant prior to the arrest. This incident is deeply troubling and represents a blatant abuse of power. This is an unjust and horrifying act that violates the trust, dignity, and safety of our community members by tricking them into letting agents inside private property. If you are a property owner of a lot you can request that ice agents leave your property unless they can present a notice warrant signed by a judge. If you believe you see ice activity call the Illinois family support network hotline at 855-435-7693 or contact the 12th Ward office at 773-475-6783. Our staff is actively Responding to reports of ice sightings.

Statement from Alderwoman Julia Ramirez regarding the man taken by federal agents at a barbershop in Brighton Park.

“This is an unjust and horrifying act that violates the trust, dignity, and safety of our community members by tricking them into letting agents inside private property.”

HAPPENING NOW: Portland Police Commander Franz Schoening testifies that federal officers on Oct. 18 barraged protesters with crowd control munitions — not because of any violence but because another federal officer accidentally shot tear gas onto the roof of the ICE facility.

Ald. Andre Vasquez: “The federal government is targeting my chief of staff, Cat Sharp and others for standing up and speaking out against their brutal campaign against immigrants. They want to scare us into submission. It won’t work.“

They want us to sit down and shut up. It won't work.

i was all in on mamdani until i found out that he called his dad's cousin his "aunt" instead of using the term we all know and love, "cousin once removed"

This is a cross section of activity (as OP notes, there is so, so much extending into the burbs that cannot fit on one map) but a good start in understanding the current situation

Today’s front page features @royalpratt.bsky.social’s heartbreaking story on this amazing family and Ofelia’s fight against cancer, for her dad to be with her and against a government set on terrorizing families and our communities. If you read one thing today or ever, make it this.