Category: Chicago
Large School Systems See Plummeting Foreign-Language Students Thanks To Immigration Enforcement
‘It is the American kids from poorer families, who already face significant obstacles, that are trapped in failing schools that are burdened with the impossible task of addressing the educational needs of large numbers of migrants,’ FAIR’s Ira Mehlman said.
‘Law enforcement isn’t to prevent crime’ — Jasmine Crockett makes wild claims about ICE and National Guard
Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas has some interesting ideas on how law enforcement should be utilized.
Crockett was speaking on the “Grounded” podcast when she was asked about the presence of military vehicles in cities like Washington, D.C., and Chicago.
‘They are not trained to deal with civilians in that way.’
Host Jon Tester wanted to hear Crockett’s thoughts, asking the congresswoman if she thought it was good or bad to have military presence in those cities.
“I think it’s terrible,” the politician replied. “First of all, you know, I’m like, how is it that we have a government that is hostile towards its people? Because that’s what it is. I mean, we are in the midst of a hostile government takeover, and it is our government that is, like, bringing the hostility.”
Crockett prefaced her remarks, made in September but now going viral, by saying that she would need to go into “legal mode” to explain how agencies like ICE and the United States Armed Forces are being misused by the Trump administration.
It was during that portion of her statements that Crockett made the odd claim about how local law enforcement is supposed to operate:
“I want to be clear that, like, law enforcement isn’t to prevent crime. Law enforcement solves crime. OK? That is what they are supposed to do. They are supposed to solve crimes, not necessarily, um, prevent them from happening per se.”
RELATED: Jasmine Crockett claims Republicans ‘LOVE’ her
In addition to those views, Crockett claimed she does not believe the “average person” understands the different types of training that various law enforcement or military agencies undergo.
“So literally ICE is not trained to go out and do what they’re doing,” the 44-year-old stated.
However, not only do ICE’s Enforcement and Removal operations teams train for “arrest, detention, and removal of aliens,” but the American Immigration Lawyers Association even called ICE agents “among the most highly trained federal law enforcement officers in the United States” in 2018.
Moreover, the St. Louis native said she worried about the U.S. military’s “readiness” due to the Trump administration “not doing smart things” with its allies. She then cited “different training” and different missions as being the reasons why she believes ICE and the National Guard are being misused by Trump.
“Local law enforcement, whether it’s your local municipal police, your sheriff’s deputies, your state troopers, they are trained completely differently. They are the ones that are trained in investigatory work. They are the ones that are trained on how to testify in trial, how to pull a case together. Same thing with, like, your FBI, your DEA, and that kind of stuff,” Crockett went on.
The congresswoman then boldly claimed that those who signed up for the military do not have the training to deal with civilians.
“We are taking those that signed up for the service in whatever capacity, and we are now putting them on the streets and having them with guns. They are not trained to deal with civilians in that way. That is not what they are trained to do. Like, when you sign up for any military, you are a trained killer. You are trained for war, not for going and policing our streets. All right?”
Not only are civilian interactions common practice in training operations for U.S. military members, per official training documents, but the District of Columbia National Guard specifically trained for civilian interactions as recently as May 2024 under the Joe Biden administration.
The training noted the D.C. National Guard as having a long history of supporting operations in D.C. and that the training would help the entity “continue to support local law enforcement agencies in the metropolitan area.”
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Pritzker Rhetoric
“Pritzker Rhetoric,” editorial cartoon by Yogi Love for The American Spectator on Dec. 1, 2025.
Chicago school district lets children ditch class over ICE fears: Report
A school district in a Democratic-led sanctuary city has reportedly implemented an attendance policy that allows illegal immigrant students to skip school due to fears of federal immigration enforcement.
Chicago Public Schools students can be marked as “excused” from class if their parents or guardians express fears about immigration operations, according to a document obtained by Defending Education and reviewed by Fox News Digital.
‘CPS should not be turning attendance policy into a sanctuary immigration tool.’
The document, titled “Chicago Public Schools’ Attendance Coding for Safety Concerns Related to Federal Representative Activity,” states that the district is “fully committed” to providing children a safe learning environment, adding that it “has strong protections and protocols in place to protect our students and staff.”
CPS highlighted a November 2024 resolution from the Chicago Board of Education, stating that “while these protections and procedures are related to immigration enforcement, they apply to interactions with all federal agents and representatives, including the National Guard.”
The district explains that, as part of its commitment to “Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance,” it does not ask about immigration status and will not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
RELATED: Anti-ICE mob turns hostile, breaching barriers outside detention facility — several officers injured
Audrey Richardson/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Under a section labeled “Attendance Guidance,” the CPS document reads, “If a parent/guardian reports an absence and attributes it to fear of federal representative-related procedures, schools CAN excuse the absence under ‘concern for student health and safety.'”
When filling out an excused absence request, parents are instructed not to provide any additional information about the absence other than indicating a “concern for student health and safety” to protect the family’s “confidentiality.”
The district states that it does not set a time limit for how long this reason for absence may be used.
If a parent or guardian has been “impacted by federal representative-related procedures,” they can appoint a short-term guardian who can request an excused absence on behalf of the student.
Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Students are similarly permitted to arrive late or leave early to “avoid official start and dismissal times wherein federal representatives may be present,” the document adds.
Additionally, the district reportedly allows students one excused absence “to engage in a civic event,” such as a demonstration or protest.
While the Illinois State Board of Education does not currently permit students to participate in a hybrid or remote option, CPS states that if this policy changes, it will provide updated information.
“Chicago Public Schools is effectively telling families that fear of federal law enforcement is a standing excuse to keep children out of class with no time limit and no paper trail,” Kendall Tietz, an investigative reporter at Defending Education, told Fox News Digital. “CPS should not be turning attendance policy into a sanctuary immigration tool. Instead, public schools should be focused on getting kids to school and keeping accurate records, not quietly encouraging truancy and obstructing cooperation with federal authorities. This policy undermines both student learning and the rule of law.”
CPS did not respond to a request for comment.
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What They Get Wrong About ‘What We Get Wrong’
Have you ever interrupted some axe-grinder mid-rant by asking “Who is the ‘they’”? The latest in editorial pandemics brings up…
Trump administration to withdraw some National Guard troops from Chicago, Portland: Reports
The Trump administration is set to withdraw some National Guard troops from Chicago and Portland, Ore., according to multiple reports. The New York Times reported Sunday that two U.S. officials said hundreds of National Guard soldiers were being pulled by the Defense Department from the two cities. The officials also said that around 200 members…
‘Serial puncher’ accused of knocking out mother of 11 in Chicago over summer arrested yet again — this time while behind bars
Blaze News in September reported about a violent and rampant repeat offender who was accused of randomly punching and knocking out a mother of 11 on a Chicago street in broad daylight.
The victim — 56-year-old Kathleen Miles — didn’t know what hit her as she walked to a train with a co-worker along West Washington Avenue on Aug. 19.
‘This guy is strong, and scary, and he knows what he’s doing.’
Miles recalled to WLS-TV at the time that the culprit “hit me with such force” that the punch knocked her out and left her with several broken facial bones and a concussion.
Police told WLS that Miles was attacked by 32-year-old William Livingston. Police told Blaze News that Livingston was charged with two felony counts of aggravated battery/public place, a felony count of aggravated battery/great bodily harm, and a misdemeanor count of reckless conduct/bodily harm.
The video report below not only shows how badly Miles was injured but also includes surveillance video of the devastating punch.
WGN-TV reported that Livingston was arrested the same day of the attack. Cook County Jail records indicate Livingston was booked Aug. 21, and he has remained in jail as of Friday with no bond.
Livingston has been described by WMAQ-TV as a “so-called serial puncher.” A WBBM-TV investigation found he had been arrested at least 20 times dating back to 2012 “but keeps being released from custody.”
Well, Livingston on Wednesday was arrested yet again — and believe it or not, while he was behind bars in Cook County Jail, Chicago police told Blaze News.
Police said officers along with the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Livingston after he was identified as the offender who struck two victims — a 40-year-old female and a 29-year-old female — in the 2700 block of North Clark Street on June 12. Police said he was charged with two felony counts of aggravated battery/public place.
One of the victims, Anne Kurze, identified Livingston from a police lineup as her attacker, WBBM-TV reported: “He stood about this far from me, and punched me, and then kept walking north up the street.”
After Livingston was formally charged in connection with the June attacks, Kurze told WBBM that “any day he is off the street is a good day. It does stir up a lot of big feelings, a lot of free-floating anxiety, fear — that feeling of being so scared back in June.”
WBBM also said Kurze suffered a neck injury and concussion as a result of the punch: “It could have been so much worse; this guy is strong, and scary, and he knows what he’s doing.”
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office added to WBBM that Livingston is being directly indicted in the case, meaning that officials are taking the evidence straight to a grand jury.
WLS at the time of the attack against Miles said a records search produced 13 mugshots of Livingston going back to 2012 — and that a large number of those arrests were for aggravated assault and battery of both women and police officers.
“Like, what is enough?” Miles asked WLS. “You know, what does someone have to do? Where someone, where he’s going to be, where they’re going to be held accountable.”
Here’s a brief rundown of Livingston’s violence over the last eight years, according to WLS:
In 2017, he was accused of randomly attacking two women months apart. Both cases were dropped.
In 2022, Livingston was sentenced to five years in prison after prosecutors said he punched and attempted to rob four women within 20 minutes in the Loop.
In 2023, while on parole, Livingston was arrested for hitting a woman in the face on North Michigan Avenue.
And in 2024, Livingston was sentenced to 100 days in prison after he punched a 15-year-old girl, also on North Michigan Avenue.
Police said Livingston was arrested at 12:26 p.m. on Feb. 8, 2022, after being identified as the individual who struck and attempted to take personal property from multiple female victims within minutes of each other. Police said Livingston was charged with four felony counts of aggravated battery/public place, two felony counts of attempted robbery, and one misdemeanor count of battery/make physical contact.
Cami Blechschmidt, a DePaul University student, described to WGN the random attacks against her and three other women that day.
“I felt a hand in my pocket, turned my head like that, and there was a man directly in front of me, and he punched me directly in the face,” Blechschmidt recounted to WGN in 2022. “We made eye contact, and like, he just had pure hate in his eyes. Just anger, pure anger.”
Shortly after the attack against her, Miles told WLS that if Livingston “had been held accountable for his actions, then I wouldn’t be sitting here with injuries.”
Following Livingston’s arrest earlier this week, Miles told WMAQ that she hopes Livingston now will be prevented from carrying out future attacks — and indeed she added to the station that the trauma of the August attack against her still lingers: “I struggle with it every day; I struggle with just fear of being hurt.”
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Anti-ICE mob turns hostile, breaching barriers outside detention facility — several officers injured
An anti-immigration enforcement protest outside an ICE facility in Chicago resulted in multiple officer injuries and nearly a dozen arrests as some attempted to breach security barriers, according to local reports.
Leftist protesters have been regularly gathering outside the ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, since the Trump administration launched its immigration crackdown, Operation Midway Blitz.
‘Womp womp, cry all you want. These criminal illegal aliens aren’t getting released.’
On Friday, activists once again demonstrated outside the facility, protesting against ICE’s enforcement efforts. Local reports indicated that this particular demonstration was more tense and volatile than those in recent weeks.
Local law enforcement officers worked to keep the road leading to the facility clear, confining protesters to designated areas. However, when some activists became violent and attempted to force their way into the street, officers began making arrests.
Videos captured by independent journalist Brendan Gutenschwager showed a line of Cook County sheriff’s deputies attempting to keep protesters off the road. Several skirmishes between officers and protesters broke out, resulting in multiple detainments.
Photo by Jamie Kelter Davis/Getty Images
“Who do you protect? Who do you serve?” the crowd chanted.
Twenty-one protesters were arrested and four officers were injured, WLS-TV reported on Friday morning. Of those injured, two were police officers, one a state trooper, and the other a Cook County sheriff’s deputy.
The local news outlet stated that Friday’s protest was the largest one in recent weeks, noting that counter-protesters were also present.
“I have repeatedly pleaded to protesters to raise their voices, not their fists. They have chosen their fists. These out-of-towners have chosen to brutalize police officers who have been protecting their free speech and protecting them against assaults by ICE agents. We will see them in court,” Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson stated.
RELATED: ‘He’s not that smart’: Homan lampoons Chicago mayor for pleading with UN to intervene against ICE
Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
Border czar Tom Homan reacted to the Broadview protest.
“I was watching the videos before I came out here. When they put hands on law enforcement officers, they’re getting arrested and going to jail,” Homan told White House reporters on Friday. “You have a right to protest, but don’t cross the line.”
The crowd was estimated to be roughly 200-300 protesters.
The Department of Homeland Security posted about the protest on X, writing, “Womp womp, cry all you want. These criminal illegal aliens aren’t getting released.”
“Like clockwork, violent rioters have arrived at the Broadview ICE facility to demand the release of some of the worst human beings on planet earth,” the DHS continued. “Get a job you imbecilic morons.”
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DHS blasts ‘ACTIVIST’ Biden judge’s order to cut loose hundreds of illegal aliens in Chicago, pause deportations
Despite the ongoing obstructionism by Chicago’s deeply unpopular mayor, Brandon Johnson (D), and other open-borders activists, federal immigration agents continue to risk life and limb with the aim of unburdening the crime-ridden sanctuary city of some of the roughly 150,000 illegal aliens who have sapped its resources, strained its systems, and endangered its people.
‘An ACTIVIST JUDGE is putting the lives of Americans directly at risk.’
A Biden judge decided on Wednesday to undo some of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s hard work, ordering the Trump administration to free hundreds of the illegal aliens recently apprehended in the Chicago area, including some of those captured during the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Midway Blitz.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Blaze News in a statement. “At every turn, activist judges, sanctuary politicians, and violent rioters have actively tried to prevent our law enforcement officers from arresting and removing the worst of the worst.”
“Now an ACTIVIST JUDGE is putting the lives of Americans directly at risk by ordering 615 illegal aliens be released into the community,” added McLaughlin.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings, a Biden appointee, ruled last month that ICE had violated a 2022 consent decree settlement that barred federal immigration agents from conducting warrantless arrests unless they have cause to suspect an individual is both an illegal alien and a flight risk.
The settlement, which was the result of a lawsuit filed by the open-borders advocacy organization National Immigrant Justice Center and the ACLU of Illinois, was set to expire on May 12, 2025. However, the NIJC filed a motion to continue enforcing the settlement earlier this year after ICE made a series of warrantless illegal alien arrests.
RELATED: Federal judge wildly oversteps her bounds with Border Patrol commander in Chicago
Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
Cummings, who previously claimed that NIJC’s pending motion kept the settlement alive, decided on Oct. 7 to extend the consent decree until Feb. 2, 2026, and ordered ICE to apply it to all agents nationwide.
On Wednesday, Cummings went even farther to appease the open-borders activists, ordering ICE to free 13 illegal aliens by Friday and to release another 615 illegal aliens on bond into a monitoring program by Nov. 21, unless the Trump administration appeals and/or demonstrates that the arrests were in keeping with the consent decree.
Lawyers for the government are considering an appeal, indicating that at least 12 of the 615 illegal aliens arrested in Chicago between June and early October are considered high flight risks, reported Axios.
The activist judge also ordered the Trump administration to pause deportation and voluntary departure procedures for all those illegal aliens who are pending release and to provide additional information concerning all arrests that have taken place since his October ruling.
Michelle Garcia, deputy legal director at the ACLU of Illinois, suggested that by committing to enforcing the consent decree, Cummings has set the stage for “even more of the hundreds of people illegally arrested and detained during Operation Midway Blitz to be released.”
Mark Fleming, associate director of litigation at NIJC, also celebrated Cummings’ apparent judicial activism, stating, “We are grateful that Judge Cummings sees the urgency of this moment and has ordered the Trump administration to allow hundreds to leave the inhumane detention centers where they are being unlawfully held and to have a chance at the due process our laws require.”
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