Jake Wittich

What's happening in Chicago is not normal.

The arrest of Alderperson Fuentes is just the latest example of how far Noem and Bovino are willing to go to ignore the rule of law. We must all speak up.

Open House Chicago to feature Center on Halsted, Gerber/Hart for first time - Windy City Times Open House Chicago is offering a look inside two of Chicago’s major LGBTQ+ organizations this year, giving participants a chance to learn more about the city’s queer community and history. The Gerber/...

Open House Chicago will include tours of the Center on Halsted and the Gerber/Hart Library & Archives, offering visitors a chance to learn more about Chicago's LGBTQ+ community and history.

Read more on @windycitytimes.com.

I'm so grateful to my cohort (special shoutout to Erin Orr of Investigate Midwest, who I tied with for third)!

And big congrats to the winning teams at Borderless Magazine and the Investigative Project on Race & Equity!

The program may be over, but my journalism fundraising journey starts here!

Announcing “Pitch Day” winners from the Illinois cohort of the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding Local news outlets in 2025 understand they must “make the case” for the value of their journalism and earn their community’s support every day through their work. Traditional and new types of revenue ...

The program culminated in our big Pitch Day last month, and I'm proud to share that I placed third! 🎉

This comes with a $2,500 grant from the Google News Initiative to support WCT's work expanding BLACKlines, En La Vida and our social media presence.

This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Local Media Association's Lab for Journalism Funding cohort on behalf of @windycitytimes.com.

Over several months I joined 10 other Illinois newsrooms in learning how to make the case for supporting local news.

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b-----' before shooting Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed. A judge ordered Martinez and a co-defendant released pending trial.

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government’s claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed.
trib.al/9Sxu9IN

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b----' before shooting Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorn...

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something bitch’ before shooting

chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/10...

Illinois and Chicago filed suit against Trump while I was in court.

Complaint below.

Here is the TRO motion: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

And legal arguments: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

A hearing before Judge April Perry, a Biden appointee, is set for 2p CT.

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS EASTERN DIVISION CHICAGO HEADLINE CLUB, BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO, CHICAGO NEWSPAPER GUILD LOCAL 34071, NABET-CWA LOCAL 54041, ILLINOIS PRESS ASSOCIATION, RAVEN GEARY, CHARLES THRUSH, STEPHEN HELD, DAVID BLACK, WILLIAM PAULSON, AUTUMN REIDY-HAMER, and LEIGH KUNKEL, on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated, Plaintiffs, V. KRISTI NOEM, Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS); TODD LYONS, Acting Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); MARCOS CHARLES, Acting Executive Associate Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, ICE; RUSSELL HOTT, Chicago Field Office Director, ICE; RODNEY S. SCOTT, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); GREGORY BOVINO, Chief Border Patrol Agent, CBP; DANIEL DRISCOLL, Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); WILLIAM K. MARSHALL III, Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP); PAMELA BONDI, Attorney General of the United States; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE; UNIDENTIFIED FEDERAL OFFICER DEFENDANTS; UNIDENTIFIED FEDERAL AGENCY DEFENDANTS; and DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States, No. 25-cv-12173 PLAINTIFFS' COMPLAINT FOR INJUCTIVE AND DECLARATORY RELIEF

NEW: I'm listening in on a second new lawsuit out of Illinois today, addressing First Amendment freedoms surrounding protests, including press and religious claims.

Judge Sara Ellis, an Obama appointee, is hearing the TRO motion and has found the plaintiffs, for TRO purposes, have standing.

Illinois sues Trump over National Guard deployment The lawsuit comes hours after a federal judge in Oregon barred Trump from deploying federalized members of any National Guard troops under Trump's command to Oregon.

Illinois and Chicago sued President Donald Trump Monday to prevent the deployment of National Guard troops here from any state, setting up one of the biggest legal clashes yet between the Republican president and Illinois’ Democratic leaders. trib.al/fZMI7jK

Federal Agents Storm South Shore Building, Detaining Families and Children Families were woken by flashbangs and helicopters as hundreds of federal agents raided their homes. Days later, neighbors are still searching for the missing.

NEW: In the weeks leading up to a massive ICE raid at a South Shore apartment building, neighbors saw drones surveilling the area, and teachers at a nearby school regularly saw agents in the neighborhood.

✍️ Jose Abonce for the Weekly and Maira Khwaja for @invisible.institute

On Oct. 8, 2025, join the 2nd annual Local LGBTQ+ Media Giving Day during LGBTQ+ History Month. Your tax-deductible donation supports Bay Area Reporter, Buckeye Flame, Dallas Voice, Lookout PHX, Los Angeles Blade, Out SFL, Philadelphia Gay News, Tagg Magazine, Washington Blade, Windy City Times and News Is Out.

It’s here! 🏳️‍🌈

Local LGBTQ+ Media Giving Day is Oct. 8—this week!

Support queer journalism that keeps our communities informed
and visible: givebutter.com/LGBTQequityf...
#LGBTQMediaDay #LGBTQHistoryMonth

I bought a new cozy game that’s been keeping me sane the last few days.

Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge sees you developing your own wetlands into a refuge for endangered frogs.

It mixes decorating with collecting, farming and breeding mechanics—and the art style is adorable, too!

Trump seeks to call up 300 Illinois National Guard troops, Pritzker says The request to the Illinois National Guard comes after Pritzker said earlier this week the Department of Homeland Security requested deployment of 100 military troops to Illinois “for the protection of ICE personnel and facilities.”

The Trump administration has given Gov. JB Pritzker an ultimatum: deploy 300 Illinois National Guard members or the federal government will federalize them. Pritzker called it "outrageous and un-American."

LGBTQ migrants left vulnerable as Trump orders National Guard troops to Chicago LGBTQ immigrants in Chicago feel vulnerable as President Donald Trump federalizes Illinois National Guard troops. They fear being deported to countries with horrible human rights records against LGBTQ...

It's official. Trump is sending the troops. LGBTQ migrants left vulnerable as #NationalGuard is federalized to help #ICEraids

@gopride.com shares tips from @aclu.org

Same! I wanna wear my sweaters and hoodies!! 😭

Ald. Jessie Fuentes handcuffed by federal agents as ICE crackdown escalates in Chicago - Windy City Times Federal agents handcuffed Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward) and threatened to arrest her Oct. 3 at Humboldt Park Health. The agents, who Fuentes said appeared to be with Immigration and Customs Enforcem...

A video shared by Fuentes’ office shows the alderperson in the emergency room asking agents if they have a signed warrant and telling them the man has constitutional rights.

“No,” responded one of the two agents in the video.

Ald. Jessie Fuentes handcuffed by federal agents as ICE crackdown escalates in Chicago - Windy City Times Federal agents handcuffed Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward) and threatened to arrest her Oct. 3 at Humboldt Park Health. The agents, who Fuentes said appeared to be with Immigration and Customs Enforcem...

Federal agents handcuffed Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward) and threatened to arrest her today as ICE activity in Chicago continues to escalate.

Ald. Jessie Fuentes handcuffed by federal agents as ICE crackdown escalates in Chicago - Windy City Times Federal agents handcuffed Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward) and threatened to arrest her Oct. 3 at Humboldt Park Health. The agents, who Fuentes said appeared to be with Immigration and Customs Enforcem...

STORY: windycitytimes.com/2025/10/03/a...

Ald. Jessie Fuentes’ office just released a statement she was handcuffed and threatened arrest amid ongoing ICE activity in Humboldt Park.

Tear gas was also used on passersby at a Home Depot an at Rico Fresh, her office says.

I’m on my way to an emergency press conference now.

moments ago: pandemonium.

a huge mass of border patrol agents, led by greg bovino, pushed the crowd of protesters and started grabbing people at random.

leading up to this, folks were just calmly standing in the grass, following isp’s orders.

multiple people detained. no clue how many.

State troopers just grabbed another protester.

fwiw, i asked the illinois attorney general kwame raoul’s office last week (before the addition of state police and cook county sheriffs) about broadview police helping move protesters out of the way for ice agents.

this is what they told me:

Tensions erupt between state police, protesters at Broadview ICE facility Tense moments erupted about 7:30 a.m. as protesters started shouting “walk off the line” at Illinois state troopers after new barricades were installed Thursday.

Protests outside the Broadview ICE facility began with early clashes between Illinois state troopers and demonstrators and at least one arrest Friday morning.

state police just arrested a person for sitting in the street.

looks like the isp swat team is onsite too.

this is protecting free speech, right?

US Government Shutdown — Assigned Failing to reach an agreement to temporarily fund the US government, congress members have allowed the government to shutdown for now. Here’s what that means.

The vote for a continuing resolution failed to pass, and now the US government is on track to shutdown in just a few hours. What does that mean, exactly? Check out our quick explainer to figure out what led to this, and what happens next.

Public Newsroom 161: Migra Watch training with PUÑO — City Bureau Join City Bureau and PUÑO for a Public Newsroom on how to document and report ICE activity in your neighborhood! PUÑO has been building collective power to protect Chicago’s immigrant communities thro...

🗣️ Join City Bureau & PUÑO for a #PublicNewsroom on how to document & report ICE activity in your neighborhood. 🧊📹
Get trained, stay informed, and protect your community.
RSVP for free! We’ll see you October 9 at 6pm: www.citybureau.org/events/publi...

CHICAGO JOURNALISTS: Join @nlgja-chicago.bsky.social for a free digital safety training with @penamerica.bsky.social.

Learn how to protect yourself from hacking, doxing and other online harassment.

📅 Thurs., Oct. 23 | 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. CT (virtual)

RSVP: tinyurl.com/nlgjaDigitalSafety

A daughter becomes a lifeline for her parents as immigration enforcement intensifies in Chicago President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign is forcing some immigrants to isolate at home. But relatives, friends and strangers are stepping up to try to keep them connected.

“My parents sacrificed all this for me,” Karla says as she scans the home they built. “What can I do to help them right now?” @wbez.org @chicago.suntimes.com @elviamalagon.bsky.social