Latest news with #LatinoCaucus
Miami Herald
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson again faces thorny politics of picking Zoning chair, other council appointments
CHICAGO - As the departure of Ald. Walter Burnett leaves Mayor Brandon Johnson with the challenge of picking his third Zoning Committee chair, the City Council's Black and Latino caucuses have already begun jockeying for the highly coveted leadership spot. Burnett, often dubbed the "dean" of the council as its most tenured member, will step down at the end of July, vacating both his committee chairmanship and role as Johnson's vice mayor. The Zoning appointment has been one of the freshman mayor's biggest political conundrums throughout the first two years of his term, and his next choice is expected to make waves in a council where racial politics remain an undercurrent. To that end, the heads of both the Black and Latino caucuses are calling for the chairmanship to go to one of their members. And vice chair Ald. Bennett Lawson, who is white, has expressed interest in the permanent role too. Johnson, for his part, would not say on Wednesday where his inclinations lie. "Look, the most important thing here is that we have someone who … reflects my values," he told reporters when asked if the Black Caucus should retain the Zoning chair spot. "We'll go through a process, like we've always gone through, and the person that best reflects our ability to build the safest, most affordable big city in America … I feel very confident that we'll find the right person." Latino Caucus chair Ald. Andre Vasquez confirmed Thursday he is interested in seeking the Zoning appointment, pending consensus among caucus members. The progressive critic of the mayor sought the candidacy a year ago too, but Johnson tapped his close ally Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez instead. That decision created one of the mayor's biggest political problems within the council during that time. For months, Sigcho-Lopez struggled to garner support from aldermen who complained he was too divisive to hold the powerful role. By September - after nine months of Lawson serving as the interim chair - Johnson tapped Burnett instead, a pick that sailed through without controversy. However, the mayor had promised the spot to the Latino Caucus back when he planned to install Sigcho-Lopez. Vasquez said the time is now for the caucus to seek the Zoning role back. "We feel like there's been a lack of representation, and actually a loss of representation," Vasquez said. "I'm happy to serve in that capacity. … If we're looking at the leadership of the city and it being represented in the committee chairs, there's opportunities for the Latino Caucus to grow rather than feel like it's lost a seat or remained the same." Out of City Council's 20 committees, 10 are chaired by members of the Black Caucus while six are headed by Latino Caucus members. The remaining four are led by white aldermen. Though these appointments require council approval, they are traditionally up to the mayor's discretion and play out behind closed doors in a political arena where various factions attempt to curry favor with the administration. Ald. Stephanie Coleman, head of the Black Caucus, confirmed to the Tribune on Wednesday she "absolutely" expects the Zoning chair position to go to one of her members. "Just as our City Council reflects the diversity of our great city, leadership should as well," Coleman said. Asked to respond to the Latino Caucus's argument that it used to control that role under Johnson's first Zoning chair, former Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Coleman responded, "Well, the operative word was 'used' to be." Ramirez-Rosa stepped down from leading the Zoning Committee in November 2023 amid a furor over bullying accusations from four colleagues including Ald. Emma Mitts, the council's current longest-serving Black woman. He has denied the allegations. Later that month, Ramirez-Rosa avoided a historic censure thanks to Johnson's tie-breaker vote, but not before the episode cast open bitter divisions within the body along racial lines. Mitts, who ultimately voted against formally punishing Ramirez-Rosa, said on the council floor "I felt like I was back in the South." As for whom the Black Caucus plans to recommend to head Zoning now, Coleman sidestepped a question Wednesday on whether she was interested in the role. So did Ald. Greg Mitchell, who two sources said was seeking support to be Johnson's next Zoning chair. "I can neither confirm nor deny that," he said Wednesday. Meanwhile Lawson, who has spent over a year trying to shepherd through the council a stalled ordinance that would legalize "granny flats" and coach houses in Chicago, signaled his interest too. He added he would no longer be willing to serve as interim Zoning chair. "I think it would be dishonest to say no," Lawson said when asked if he wants the permanent appointment. "I think I do a good job. … I understand it's a lot more than that that goes into it, so I'm also realistic." Whoever Johnson's next Zoning chair appointment may be, it is likely to trigger a musical chairs of sorts among other committee assignments, too. Vasquez is currently chair of the Immigration Committee, while Mitchell heads the Transportation Committee. Meanwhile, Burnett's exit also leaves open the vice mayor role, which is largely symbolic but does come with a shiny $430,000 budget for additional staff. Two sources told the Tribune that if Vasquez were to vacate the Immigration Committee chair, Ald. Ruth Cruz would be interested in taking over, while Ald. Mike Rodriguez hopes to be Johnson's pick for the next vice mayor. But if Mitchell were to clinch Zoning, Vasquez would seek the Transportation Committee post, sources said, so that the Latino Caucus would gain a chairmanship seat regardless. Cruz and Rodriguez declined to comment on Thursday. Delmarie Cobb, a Chicago-based political strategist, argued that whatever course Johnson takes leaves little room for either the Black or Latino caucus to object compared to previous eras in City Council. But she did suggest the mayor "spread the wealth" by taking these vacancies as a chance to extend an olive branch to some of his detractors in the council. "If he reached out to Walter Burnett, who certainly was not a progressive by any means, any stretch of the imagination, he can do the same to some of these other detractors," Cobb said. "I don't think the Latino Caucus has a lot to complain about. I don't think the Black Caucus has a lot to complain about. I think he's been very equal for the most part." Vasquez, however, noted his caucus has sounded the alarm on Latino representation within Johnson's administration and leadership appointments before and sees the upcoming committee chair reshuffling as a chance to even the playing field. "I do think it's unfortunate given the history of Chicago, where everything's been so segregated and communities of color and vulnerable communities have felt like they've had to fight for every bit of representation … you see a little bit more of that tension along racial lines," Vasquez said. "But if you recognize how the city has been built and an understanding of it, I think it's incumbent upon us to work past those things." The Zoning Committee controls critical legislation related to development and other land use issues in Chicago. That makes the mayor's chairmanship selection a weighty one in a City Council where aldermanic prerogative - the de facto practice of deferring to the presiding alderman when it comes to projects within their ward - continues to reign supreme. It also has landed former chairs in hot water. Former Ald. Danny Solis, Zoning chair for a decade, famously wore a wire on his colleagues after being implicated in taking bribes while controlling that committee. ----------- -The Tribune's Jake Sheridan contributed reporting. ____ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Chicago Tribune
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Mayor Brandon Johnson again faces thorny politics of picking Zoning chair, other council appointments
As the departure of Ald. Walter Burnett leaves Mayor Brandon Johnson with the challenge of picking his third Zoning Committee chair, the City Council's Black and Latino caucuses have already begun jockeying for the highly coveted leadership spot. Burnett, often dubbed the 'dean' of the council as its most tenured member, will step down at the end of July, vacating both his committee chairmanship and role as Johnson's vice mayor. The Zoning appointment has been one of the freshman mayor's biggest political conundrums throughout the first two years of his term, and his next choice is expected to make waves in a council where racial politics remain an undercurrent. To that end, the heads of both the Black and Latino caucuses are calling for the chairmanship to go to one of their members. And vice chair Ald. Bennett Lawson, who is white, has expressed interest in the permanent role too. Johnson, for his part, would not say on Wednesday where his inclinations lie. 'Look, the most important thing here is that we have someone who … reflects my values,' he told reporters when asked if the Black Caucus should retain the Zoning chair spot. 'We'll go through a process, like we've always gone through, and the person that best reflects our ability to build the safest, most affordable big city in America … I feel very confident that we'll find the right person.' Latino Caucus chair Ald. Andre Vasquez confirmed Thursday he is interested in seeking the Zoning appointment, pending consensus among caucus members. The progressive critic of the mayor sought the candidacy a year ago too, but Johnson tapped his close ally Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez instead. That decision created one of the mayor's biggest political problems within the council during that time. For months, Sigcho-Lopez struggled to garner support from aldermen who complained he was too divisive to hold the powerful role. By September — after nine months of Lawson serving as the interim chair — Johnson tapped Burnett instead, a pick that sailed through without controversy. However, the mayor had promised the spot to the Latino Caucus back when he planned to install Sigcho-Lopez. Vasquez said the time is now for the caucus to seek the Zoning role back. 'We feel like there's been a lack of representation, and actually a loss of representation,' Vasquez said. 'I'm happy to serve in that capacity. … If we're looking at the leadership of the city and it being represented in the committee chairs, there's opportunities for the Latino Caucus to grow rather than feel like it's lost a seat or remained the same.' Out of City Council's 20 committees, 10 are chaired by members of the Black Caucus while six are headed by Latino Caucus members. The remaining four are led by white aldermen. Though these appointments require council approval, they are traditionally up to the mayor's discretion and play out behind closed doors in a political arena where various factions attempt to curry favor with the administration. Ald. Stephanie Coleman, head of the Black Caucus, confirmed to the Tribune on Wednesday she 'absolutely' expects the Zoning chair position to go to one of her members. 'Just as our City Council reflects the diversity of our great city, leadership should as well,' Coleman said. Asked to respond to the Latino Caucus's argument that it used to control that role under Johnson's first Zoning chair, former Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Coleman responded, 'Well, the operative word was 'used' to be.' Ramirez-Rosa stepped down from leading the Zoning Committee in November 2023 amid a furor over bullying accusations from four colleagues including Ald. Emma Mitts, the council's current longest-serving Black woman. He has denied the allegations. Later that month, Ramirez-Rosa avoided a historic censure thanks to Johnson's tie-breaker vote, but not before the episode cast open bitter divisions within the body along racial lines. Mitts, who ultimately voted against formally punishing Ramirez-Rosa, said on the council floor 'I felt like I was back in the South.' As for whom the Black Caucus plans to recommend to head Zoning now, Coleman sidestepped a question Wednesday on whether she was interested in the role. So did Ald. Greg Mitchell, who two sources said was seeking support to be Johnson's next Zoning chair. 'I can neither confirm nor deny that,' he said Wednesday. Meanwhile Lawson, who has spent over a year trying to shepherd through the council a stalled ordinance that would legalize 'granny flats' and coach houses in Chicago, signaled his interest too. He added he would no longer be willing to serve as interim Zoning chair. 'I think it would be dishonest to say no,' Lawson said when asked if he wants the permanent appointment. 'I think I do a good job. … I understand it's a lot more than that that goes into it, so I'm also realistic.' Whoever Johnson's next Zoning chair appointment may be, it is likely to trigger a musical chairs of sorts among other committee assignments, too. Vasquez is currently chair of the Immigration Committee, while Mitchell heads the Transportation Committee. Meanwhile, Burnett's exit also leaves open the vice mayor role, which is largely symbolic but does come with a shiny $430,000 budget for additional staff. Two sources told the Tribune that if Vasquez were to vacate the Immigration Committee chair, Ald. Ruth Cruz would be interested in taking over, while Ald. Mike Rodriguez hopes to be Johnson's pick for the next vice mayor. But if Mitchell were to clinch Zoning, Vasquez would seek the Transportation Committee post, sources said, so that the Latino Caucus would gain a chairmanship seat regardless. Cruz and Rodriguez declined to comment on Thursday. Delmarie Cobb, a Chicago-based political strategist, argued that whatever course Johnson takes leaves little room for either the Black or Latino caucus to object compared to previous eras in City Council. But she did suggest the mayor 'spread the wealth' by taking these vacancies as a chance to extend an olive branch to some of his detractors in the council. 'If he reached out to Walter Burnett, who certainly was not a progressive by any means, any stretch of the imagination, he can do the same to some of these other detractors,' Cobb said. 'I don't think the Latino Caucus has a lot to complain about. I don't think the Black Caucus has a lot to complain about. I think he's been very equal for the most part.' Vasquez, however, noted his caucus has sounded the alarm on Latino representation within Johnson's administration and leadership appointments before and sees the upcoming committee chair reshuffling as a chance to even the playing field. 'I do think it's unfortunate given the history of Chicago, where everything's been so segregated and communities of color and vulnerable communities have felt like they've had to fight for every bit of representation … you see a little bit more of that tension along racial lines,' Vasquez said. 'But if you recognize how the city has been built and an understanding of it, I think it's incumbent upon us to work past those things.' The Zoning Committee controls critical legislation related to development and other land use issues in Chicago. That makes the mayor's chairmanship selection a weighty one in a City Council where aldermanic prerogative — the de facto practice of deferring to the presiding alderman when it comes to projects within their ward — continues to reign supreme. It also has landed former chairs in hot water. Former Ald. Danny Solis, Zoning chair for a decade, famously wore a wire on his colleagues after being implicated in taking bribes while controlling that committee.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Afternoon Briefing: Closing arguments underway in Crosetti Brand trial
Good afternoon, Chicago. At just 11 years old, Jayden Perkins was brave and strong, prosecutors said today, but he was 'absolutely no match' for the grown man who rushed at his mother and stabbed her repeatedly. In a tense courtroom at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, prosecutors began their closing arguments to the jury after a more than three-week trial that involved more than 30 witnesses and some 300 exhibits. Crosetti Brand, 39, is charged with murder, attempted murder, home invasion and aggravated domestic battery, accused of killing Jayden as he tried to protect his pregnant mother, Laterria Smith. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History Members of the City Council's Latino Caucus are calling for an investigation into how Chicago police responded to Wednesday's demonstration outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in the South Loop, where federal agents detained immigrants and clashed with aldermen. Read more here. More top news stories: While Gov. JB Pritzker scored wins during legislative session, cellphone ban, other initiatives fell short Illinois affirms right to emergency abortions, following Trump administration's change in federal guidance After its inaugural year as a state-funded effort, Illinois' court-based rental assistance program for tenants struggling to pay rent and their landlords will stop accepting applications tomorrow and will see a third of its funds wiped away in the 2026 fiscal year that begins July 1. Read more here. More top business stories: Chicago Bears player Joe Thuney paid $1.7M for Lake Forest home Streeterville 3-bedroom home with custom stone bathrooms: $2.7M Jerry Reinsdorf and Justin Ishbia reached a long-term investment agreement that establishes a framework for Ishbia to obtain a future controlling interest in the Chicago White Sox, the team announced today. Read more here. More top sports stories: Chicago baseball report: Cubs waste Matthew Boyd's strong start — while White Sox pitcher shines in Double A 5 Chicago Cubs who could make the National League All-Star team with fan voting underway Two Chicago chefs have fought long and hard to make it to the 'Top Chef' season finale, which airs tonight and concludes June 12 on Bravo. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: 'The Better Sister' review: Estranged sisters reunite after a husband is murdered. Cue the intrigue. 'The Phoenician Scheme' review: Wes Anderson and Co. embark on an elaborate save-a-soul mission Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Vatican's child protection advisory commission today for the first time amid questions about his past handling of clergy sex abuse cases and demands from survivors that he enact a true policy of zero tolerance for abuse across the Catholic Church. Read more here. More top stories from around the world: David Jolly, a Trump critic and former GOP congressman, to run for Florida governor as a Democrat What the Trump travel ban means for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics in the US
Chicago Tribune
05-06-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Afternoon Briefing: Closing arguments underway in Crosetti Brand trial
Good afternoon, Chicago. At just 11 years old, Jayden Perkins was brave and strong, prosecutors said today, but he was 'absolutely no match' for the grown man who rushed at his mother and stabbed her repeatedly. In a tense courtroom at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, prosecutors began their closing arguments to the jury after a more than three-week trial that involved more than 30 witnesses and some 300 exhibits. Crosetti Brand, 39, is charged with murder, attempted murder, home invasion and aggravated domestic battery, accused of killing Jayden as he tried to protect his pregnant mother, Laterria Smith. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History Members of the City Council's Latino Caucus are calling for an investigation into how Chicago police responded to Wednesday's demonstration outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in the South Loop, where federal agents detained immigrants and clashed with aldermen. Read more here. More top news stories: After its inaugural year as a state-funded effort, Illinois' court-based rental assistance program for tenants struggling to pay rent and their landlords will stop accepting applications Friday and will see a third of its funds wiped away in the 2026 fiscal year that begins July 1. Read more here. More top business stories: Jerry Reinsdorf and Justin Ishbia reached a long-term investment agreement that establishes a framework for Ishbia to obtain a future controlling interest in the Chicago White Sox, the team announced today. Read more here. More top sports stories: Two Chicago chefs have fought long and hard to make it to the 'Top Chef' season finale, which airs tonight and concludes June 12 on Bravo. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Vatican's child protection advisory commission today for the first time amid questions about his past handling of clergy sex abuse cases and demands from survivors that he enact a true policy of zero tolerance for abuse across the Catholic Church. Read more here. More top stories from around the world:
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Aldermen call for hearing into Chicago police response to ICE demonstration
Members of the City Council's Latino Caucus are calling for an investigation into how Chicago police responded to the Wednesday demonstration outside a U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement office in the South Loop, where federal agents detained immigrants and clashed with aldermen. Twelve of the 14 aldermen in the caucus signed a letter condemning the high-profile showdown at 2245 S. Michigan Ave. The council's Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights — which Latino Caucus Chair Ald. Andre Vasquez leads — will hold a hearing 'to examine the extent of ICE's misconduct and determine whether the Chicago Police Department played any role in (Wednesday's) actions,' according to the letter. In a Wednesday evening statement, the Police Department denied that officers aided the federal agents. 'We condemn in the strongest terms ICE's unlawful detainment practices,' the statement from Latino Caucus members read. 'We stand united in calling for a full investigation into the conduct of ICE agents involved in this operation and for the immediate release of all individuals detained under these unlawful circumstances.' Vasquez told the Tribune the committee later this month hopes to call Chicago police Supt. Larry Snelling and Mayor Brandon Johnson's deputy mayors Garien Gatewood and Beatriz Ponce de Leon, who oversee community safety and immigration rights, respectively. He cited 'conflicting' information on the events at the ICE office and said 'we just want to make sure that protocols are being followed properly related to CPD.' Johnson on Thursday sidestepped questions on whether he had full confidence in the police response or whether it was appropriate for City Council to probe CPD's actions. 'Look, I think it's important that we assess the entire situation,' the mayor said while speaking to reporters at a National Immigrant Heritage Month event. 'And so assessing what happened to ensure that when the actions of the federal government come up against our values, that the full force of government is showing up in an emphatic way, but in a way that upholds our Welcoming City ordinance.' The mayor then pivoted to attack an easier political target, President Donald Trump, and shouted out the protesters as 'the resistance that we need.' 'We saw armed, masked men walk down our streets in broad daylight, and they kidnapped mothers and fathers. We saw them brutalize protesters and shove crying grandmothers into the back of unmarked vans,' he said. A source who spoke with Snelling said Chicago police officers were responding to an emergency call about a safety threat and realized upon arrival that their presence could look like they were partnering with ICE. Police leadership planned to scale back, the source said, but by then a mass gathering was convening so CPD opted to stay. In his Wednesday statement, Chicago police spokesperson Tom Ahern said CPD began an emergency response at the courthouse Wednesday after receiving two calls of an officer needing assistance. At the scene, Chicago police officers spoke with individuals inside the building and in the large crowd outside 'to ensure the safety of all involved, including those exercising their First Amendment rights.' 'Officers arrived without knowledge of immigration enforcement occurring at the location,' Ahern said. 'At no point did CPD assist in immigration enforcement. All actions taken by CPD during this incident were in accordance with CPD policy and the City of Chicago Municipal Code.' Carlos Pimeda, far right, tears up as he explains to Chicago aldermen Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd, far left, Anthony Quezada, 35th, second left, and Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, that he dropped his family friend off at 8:15 a.m., onJune 4, 2025, at the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) and he's been in the facility for almost 6 hours. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) Handcuffed detainees are led into a van by federal agents on South Michigan Avenue as protesters demonstate on June 4, 2025, outside a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Federal agents bring people to white vans outside of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, ISAP, on June 4, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) Handcuffed detainees are led into a van by federal agents on South Michigan Avenue as protesters demonstate on June 4, 2025, outside a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) A protester leads a chant in the alley behind the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, ISAP, run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the South Loop on June 4, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) A Chicago police officer speaks to Alds. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd, and Anthony Quezada, 35th, as they block the driveway to stop federal vehicles from entering the parking lot outside the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, ISAP, run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the South Loop on June 4, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) Two boys cry after their mother was taken away in a van by federal agents on June 4, 2025, outside a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) People cry as they see their loved one being escorted by federal agents outside the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, ISAP, run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the South Loop on June 4, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) People in handcuffs are escorted by federal agents to white vans parked outside the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, ISAP, run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the South Loop on June 4, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) Chicago police stand inside while demonstrators gather on June 4, 2025, at a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd, listens in to a speaker during a press conference outside of BI Incorporated's ISAP (Intensive Supervision Appearance Program) on June 4, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) A woman and child move out of the way as federal agents bring people to white vans outside of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, ISAP, on June 4, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) A federal agent pushes Ald. Jessie Fuentes, 26th, as she stands near the parking lot next to the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, ISAP, run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the South Loop on June 4, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) Federal agents hold back protesters as they lead handcuffed detainees into a van on South Michigan Avenue on June 4, 2025, outside a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Ald. Anthony Quezada, 35th, is knocked down alongside Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd, while confronting federal agents on June 4, 2025, as the agents approached a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to remove detainees from the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) OCAD organizer Antonio Gutierrez speaks to Carlos Pimeda, after Pimeda had waited for 6 hours for a family friend to return from his check-in at the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, ISAP, on on June 4, 2025. Pimeda brings his friend to his immigration check-ins and they usually last about an hour. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) Federal agents move people back after they escorted people in handcuffs to white vans parked outside the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, ISAP, run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the South Loop on June 4, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) A man tears up as he talks on the phone in the alley behind the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, ISAP, run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the South Loop on June 4, 2025, as protesters scream at them. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) People wave to their loved one inside of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, ISAP, run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the South Loop on June 4, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) People in handcuffs are escorted by federal agents to white vans parked outside the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, ISAP, run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the South Loop on June 4, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) Exterior of ISAP (Intensive Supervision Appearance Program) at BI Incorporated on South Michigan Avenue on June 4, 2025. A scene unfolded earlier where ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers detained a number of people at the ISAP office. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Masked federal agents arrive to remove detainees as protesters demonstrate on June 4, 2025, outside a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Alds. Jessie Fuentes, 26th, left, stands with Anthony Quezada, 35th, and Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd, as they cry after people in handcuffs were escorted by federal agents to white vans parked outside the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, ISAP, run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the South Loop on June 4, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) Federal agents hold back protesters as they lead handcuffed detainees into a van on South Michigan Avenue on on June 4, 2025, outside a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez, 25th, yells at federal agents as they return to their vehicles parked nearby the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, ISAP, run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the South Loop on June 4, 2025, after the federal agents escorted people in handcuffs from the facility into vans. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd, is pushed back by federal agents as they arrive to remove detainees on June 4, 2025, outside a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) The van door closes after handcuffed detainees are loaded in by federal agents on South Michigan Avenue as protesters demonstate on June 4, 2025, outside a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Handcuffed detainees are led into a van by federal agents on South Michigan Avenue as protesters demonstrate on June 4, 2025, outside a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) People hug after federal agents took away detainees in vans on June 4, 2025, outside a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) A boy cries after his mother was taken away in a van by federal agents on June 4, 2025, outside a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Show Caption1 of 31A family walks away in tears after their mother was detained June 4, 2025, outside a Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)Expand Speaking to reporters Thursday morning, Gov. JB Pritzker stood by the CPD response. 'Let's be clear, the Chicago police followed the law,' Pritzker said at an unrelated event. 'And yet those ICE officers were pushing people out of the way in a fashion that I don't think any of us think is right. And I have to say they overstep constantly, one time after another.' The governor is slated to testify in Washington next week during a GOP-led congressional hearing on Illinois' sanctuary policies for immigrants, just as Johnson did in March. The two of them, along with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, are being sued by the U.S. Justice Department over their jurisdictions' respective laws barring local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. The upcoming City Council hearing could potentially pit the Johnson administration against progressives on the issue of policing. His choice to tap Snelling for the top cop role in 2023 was widely lauded, especially from pro-law enforcement types who worried about his earlier 'defund the police' rhetoric before he ran for mayor. Johnson has since had Snelling's back publicly as Chicago sees a drop in crime, though the superintendent has broken with the mayor on the issue of ShotSpotter and a pending teen curfew ordinance in City Council. Ald. Jessie Fuentes, a progressive who participated in the Wednesday demonstrations, told the Tribune, 'We are concerned with police officers' prolonged appearance inside of the office where individuals were detained by ICE.' 'When CPD arrived and realized what the situation was, the responding Commander should have gotten his officers out and briefed the community,' Fuentes wrote in a text. 'Instead the Responding Commander was rude to electeds, did not coordinate his officers properly and now the perception is CPD was working with ICE.' A statement from The Resurrection Project, an immigrant advocacy group, alleged that at least 20 immigrants were detained by ICE during their check-ins — and echoed Fuentes' misgivings on CPD. 'We are deeply concerned to see that Chicago police provided material assistance to ICE, making this mass deportation possible by blocking traffic and providing initial crowd control,' the Wednesday statement said. 'The only people they protected were federal agents tearing our community members away from the people who love and depend on them. This kind of collaboration is an apparent violation of the Illinois Trust Act that degrades public trust in law enforcement.' By Wednesday afternoon, elected officials, including Alds. Anthony Quezada, Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez and Fuentes had joined the growing number of protesters at the ICE office. The Latino Caucus statement said 'Quezada was physically assaulted by an ICE agent—struck with a baton and thrown to the ground multiple times' while Sigcho-Lopez, Rodriguez Sanchez and Fuentes told the Tribune they were also jostled. The Tribune's Jeremy Gorner contributed reporting.
