U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi Sues Illinois, Chicago in Immigration Squabble!
The U.S. government sued Illinois and the city of Chicago on Thursday, accusing them of impeding the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies. Citing a national emergency declared by President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day, the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to block the enforcement of several state and local laws that “interfere with and discriminate against” the federal government’s enforcement of federal immigration law. Read More At Newsmax Feb. 6, 2025, 2:53 PM CST / Updated Feb. 6, 2025, 4:01 PM CST By Adam Edelman, Shaquille Brewster and Michael Kosnar The Trump administration sued the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago on Thursday, alleging that their sanctuary city policies are blocking federal authorities from enforcing immigration laws. The federal lawsuit is the first by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department against states or municipalities that have sanctuary city policies in effect. The 22-page lawsuit, filed one day after a sanctuary jurisdiction directive was issued by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on her first day on the job, alleged that the sanctuary policies put in place by Illinois, Chicago and Cook County “obstruct” the federal government from enforcing immigration laws. “The challenged provisions of Illinois, Chicago, and Cook County law reflect their intentional effort to obstruct the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law and to impede consultation and communication between federal, state, and local law enforcement officials that is necessary for federal officials to carry out federal immigration law and keep Americans safe,” the lawsuit reads. The suit is the latest vehicle to be used by the…
Are Chicago teachers among the country’s highest-paid? A look at salaries and the contract conflict
By Yana Kunichoff | October 2, 2019, 4:38pm CDT Updated: October 4, 2019, 1:12pm CDT Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said that her latest offer to the city’s teachers will make them among the highest-paid educators in the country. The union has disregarded her offer, insisting the city lower class sizes, add support staff and put those guarantees in writing. But salary and benefits remain critical, because they are among the few issues that a 1995 law permits the Chicago Teachers Union to strike over. Related: A tale of two walkouts: Can Chicago learn from past teacher strikes? Under the current Chicago union contract, beginning teachers make a base salary of just over $56,000 a year, while the most senior teachers with extra credentials make $108,242 a year. Chicago district officials have characterized their current salary offer to teachers — a 16% cost-of-living raise over a five-year contract, with 3% in each of the first three years and 3.5% annually in the next two years — as generous and even “historic.” The union wants more faster: a 5% annual raise in a three-year contract. The district is offering to cover health insurance premiums, which are estimated to increase 6% annually, and to keep costs flat for teachers for the first three years. “This is a significant benefit for CPS teachers and staff,” Lightfoot and schools chief Janice Jackson wrote on a blog post earlier this week. “Under this offer, teachers will continue to enjoy these benefits for five years at about the same rate they are paying now.” When…
The Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools entered the “fact finding” phase of negotiations in January 2025. Here’s what that means, whether Chicago students might be out of class, when and what it all could do to taxpayers.
The Chicago Teachers Union isn’t likely to be on strike until April under Illinois labor laws. The union had expected to sail through contract negotiations with Chicago Public Schools this time around after bankrolling one of their own union operatives into City Hall in 2023. “This year’s CTU contract negotiations will be different than any other,” CTU boasted in April 2024. Then the union started negotiations with a self-proclaimed “defiant” list of more than 700 demands that would cost the district an additional $10.2 billion to $13.8 billion. The union’s president was cavalier about how it “will cost $50 billion and 3 cents. And so what?” But despite having former CTU employee Brandon Johnson as mayor, there’s been a gigantic hurdle: the school district’s $500 million budget deficit and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez’ determination not to stick it to Chicago taxpayers. Seven months after the expiration of the previous agreement, the two sides are deadlocked on several provisions. They formally entered the “fact finding” portion of negotiations in January 2025, moving CTU one step closer to going on strike. Here’s what you need to know about fact finding, how it could play out in coming weeks and how CTU is posturing itself for a strike – its go-to weapon against the families and taxpayers of Chicago. What is fact finding? The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act governs collective bargaining between public school districts and teachers unions. Under the law, when CPS and CTU fail to reach an agreement, the dispute can be submitted to “fact finding” by either side. Under the law, the parties each…
Brandon Johnson Will Testify to Congress About Chicago’s Sanctuary City Status on March 5
Heather Cherone | February 5, 2025, 2:37 pm Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday accepted an invitation from the Republican chairperson of the U.S. House Oversight Committee to testify about the city’s self-proclaimed status as a sanctuary city. Johnson will appear March 5 alongside Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, according to a statement from his office. All four are Democrats. Johnson’s appearance is likely to represent a flashpoint in the ongoing battle with the GOP-controlled U.S House and the Trump administration, which is attempting to strip self-proclaimed sanctuary cities of all federal funding. Johnson has repeatedly said Chicago will remain a welcoming city and Chicago police officers will continue to be prohibited from helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents deport undocumented Chicagoans. Johnson has blasted Trump’s efforts to launch the largest mass deportation in American history as “unconscionable and abhorrent.” U.S. Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky), the committee’s chair, also requested all documents and communications related to Chicago’s sanctuary status, including those between each city, non-governmental organizations and state officials. State law also prohibits law enforcement agents from assisting federal immigration agents. “Sanctuary mayors have prioritized criminal illegal aliens over the American people,” Comer said in a statement posted to the social media platform X. “They owe Americans an explanation for their policies that jeopardize public safety and violate federal immigration law by releasing dangerous criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets. These reckless policies in Democrat-run cities and states across…
Chicago schools to take $400M advance from revolving credit, Even Amid Possible Strike!
The Chicago Board of Education tapped $400 million from its short-term revolving credit agreements with Bank of America and PNC Bank! Read More At Crains Chicago. CHICAGO (WLS) — The potential of a teachers strike is moving closer to reality in Chicago. Chicago Public Schools and the teachers union are reaching a stalemate in negotiations. Chicago teachers are no strangers to strikes: The last three contracts with Chicago Public Schools landed after the teachers walked off the job. “To force our hand to take a strike vote is a very cruel and mean joke,” CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said. Davis Gates claims CPS CEO Pedro Martinez is deliberately stalling. “He is being a bully,” Davis Gates said. Martinez and his team deny they are stalling. “There is all this rhetoric and accusations that are not based on truth; we have more agreements today in contract than last two contracts,” Martinez said. Both sides have agreed to take the next step, which is a fact-finding: a path to a potential strike. Read More At ABC 7 Chicago. New CPS school board needs fiscal discipline, creative problem-solving There were hopeful notes at the swearing-in of 20 new board members, half of them elected. Now the hard work begins. We don’t envy the difficult job facing Chicago’s new Board of Education members, 20 of whom were sworn in on Wednesday. But we’re rooting for the board to succeed, especially in these tumultuous times. And the swearing-in at Chicago Public Schools headquarters provided plenty…
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s finance reports show trouble raising money, accounting for it – Chicago Tribune/MSN
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s latest campaign finance reports suggest ongoing issues with sloppy clerical work as well as fundraising, a troubling sign for the freshman mayor midway into his term. State records show that from July through September 2024, the mayor’s political fund raised about $3,500, at that point his lowest haul during his first two years in office — and a surprise given his role as host mayor of the Democratic National Convention that August. After that, Johnson reported an astonishingly low total of $970 raised during the next quarter that ended Dec. 31. Johnson’s political spokesman, Jake Lewis, did not say Friday whether that $970 was a mistake beyond suggesting that amendments were forthcoming. Another spokesperson, Christian Perry, had told Politico the previous day that the mayor actually raised about $200,000, a much higher total but one that could land his political committee in hot water with the state due to contribution reporting requirements. “Our campaign abides by all state and local campaign finance rules and regulations,” Lewis said in a statement. “Recent changes to city campaign finance law have required us to take the necessary time to properly vet contributions and ensure compliance. As we’ve done for the entirety of this Mayor’s term, we will file the appropriate amendments to reflect contributions to the campaign, a process that is commonplace in Illinois.” Lewis did not elaborate on what city law he was referring to, but the mayor last year clashed with his handpicked Ethics Committee chair, Ald. Matt Martin, 47th,…
Chicago prepares for possible deportation arrests!
Immigration officers may be making their way to Chicago in the coming days. It follows a campaign promise from incoming President Donald Trump to begin mass deportations across the country. By Kasey Chronis Published January 20, 2025 10:16pm CST Migrants in Chicago FOX 32 Chicago The Brief CHICAGO – As President Donald Trump returns to the White House, he is vowing to execute the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. What we know: There are reports of large-scale Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids possible in Chicago as early as this week. In response, immigration support networks are ramping up resources, attorneys have been busy, and experts are encouraging employers to have I-9 forms ready. In the hours since Trump took the oath, some Chicagoans are bracing for the possibility of ICE agents showing up at their doors. “The talk has been of trying to catch people who have outstanding deportation orders, quite a number of which could result from just having missed a court date, or people who have some kind of criminal record or criminal history that would bring them to the attention of ICE,” said Fred Tsao, senior policy counsel, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). Still, Tsao says exactly when and where raids could happen is unknown. “Folks certainly are within their rights not to answer any questions or even to identify themselves. If ICE agents show up to their homes, they have the right to not answer the door, not open the door,” Tsao said. Michael LeRoy, a professor in the School…
This Started 2 Years Ago! Chicago Reader, facing ‘imminent risk of closure,’ undergoes layoffs
The above video is 2 Years ago! CHICAGO — The Chicago Reader is at imminent risk of closure, the paper’s publisher announced Tuesday. The Reader Institute for Community Journalism, which publishes the Chicago Reader, announced the layoffs of six non-union employee staff positions due to an “urgent need” to reduce costs to avoid shutting down the publication. The announcement came in a post shared on the Reader’s website on Tuesday.‘We’ve lost two amazing animals:’ Harbor seal, Chilean flamingo at Lincoln Park Zoo die from bird flu According to the announcement, since the sale of the Reader by Sun-Times Media in 2018, a combination of financial losses, operational challenges and external pressures has put the Reader at imminent risk of closure. In addition to the layoffs, it was also announced that Reader Institute for Community Journalism (RICJ) CEO Solomon Lieberman had submitted his resignation to the RICJ board of directors on Monday. “We are deeply grateful for Sol’s hard work and dedication during his tenure, and wish him the very best in his future endeavors,” Chicago Reader publisher Amber Nettles said. The Reader, which bills itself as “Chicago’s alternative nonprofit newsroom,” has faced a handful of challenges over the past two decades, including several ownership changes and a transition to a biweekly print schedule prompted by a steep drop in advertising revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic.5 Chicagoland natives to perform with the ‘The President’s Own’ Marine Band at Trump’s inauguration Despite the imminent risk of closure, leaders at the Reader said they see a path forward and plan to increase donor outreach and…