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Illinois lawmakers pass bill banning ICE immigration arrests near courthouses

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Illinois lawmakers pass bill banning ICE immigration arrests near courthouses

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Illinois lawmakers passed a bill on Friday prohibiting federal agents from making immigration arrests near courthouses.

The measure also allows lawsuits when people believe their constitutional rights were violated during civil immigration arrests.

The legislation, approved largely along party lines, was sent to Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk. His office said he supports the idea and will review the proposal when it reaches his desk.

According to the bill, civil damages for false imprisonment could be imposed when a migrant attending a court hearing or appearing as a party or witness to a legal proceeding is arrested.

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BLUE CITY JUDGE CITES ‘FEAR OR OBSTRUCTION’ IN BLOCKING ICE COURTHOUSE ARRESTS DURING COURT PROCEEDINGS

Illinois lawmakers passed a bill on Friday prohibiting federal agents from making immigration arrests near courthouses. (Christopher Dilts/Getty Images)

Supporters of the bill say courts must be accessible to everyone to seek resolutions to violations of their rights, but even one of the measure’s top sponsors acknowledges it will face an uphill battle in court.

“It’s not just about the constitutionality of the law, which I think is sound, but it’s the reality that the courts are stacked against us,” Democrat Senate President Don Harmon said. “The federal government can try to remove it from state courts to federal courts. They can try to substitute the government itself for the individual defendants, but that’s not a reason not to try.”

Earlier this month, a judge in Cook County, which includes Chicago, issued an order blocking immigration arrests at county courthouses, citing concerns about “fear or obstruction” while migrants attend court proceedings. The order prohibits immigration authorities from making civil arrests of any “party, witness, or potential witness” during court appearances.

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The federal government, however, contended that “there are no legal sanctuaries where you can hide and avoid the consequences for breaking the law.”

The measure allows lawsuits when people believe their constitutional rights were violated during civil immigration arrests. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The Trump administration’s immigration agenda aims to detain suspected illegal migrants as part of the president’s mass deportation policies. But witnesses have reported numerous incidents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detaining people regardless of citizenship or legal status.

“No one should have to choose between seeking justice and risking their freedom,” said Democrat state Sen. Celina Villanueva, who is co-sponsoring the bill. “Courthouses must be places where people can resolve disputes, testify and support loved ones, not sites of fear or intimidation.”

The measure also requires hospitals, day care centers and higher education institutions to create policies detailing how they would handle immigration agents inside their facilities.

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Earlier this year, the federal government reversed a Biden administration policy prohibiting immigration arrests in sensitive locations such as hospitals, schools and churches.

Other states have made similar efforts to protect migrants against federal raids.

FEDERAL JUDGE LIMITS ICE ARRESTS WITHOUT WARRANT, PROBABLE CAUSE

The legislation, approved largely along party lines, was sent to Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

California has restricted immigration enforcement action in courthouses since 2017. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state cannot control federal immigration action, but “the state has a responsibility to provide safe and secure access to court facilities to all residents regardless of immigration status.”

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In Connecticut, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Raheem Mullins issued a policy in September banning warrantless arrests inside state courts, and prohibited the use of face coverings, often worn by ICE officers to shield their identities, in judicial buildings.

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“Judges, staff, litigants, members of the public, they all must be able to conduct their business in our courthouses without fear of disruption,” Mullins said.

Other bills introduced by various local governments and Congress also seek to ban face coverings for immigration agents.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Midwest

Kristi Noem tells CNN’s Jake Tapper that he can’t ‘change the facts’ about Minnesota ICE shooting

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Kristi Noem tells CNN’s Jake Tapper that he can’t ‘change the facts’ about Minnesota ICE shooting

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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem clashed with CNN anchor Jake Tapper over her comments shortly after a deadly shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minnesota.

Speaking to the press after a Minneapolis ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, Noem said in a news conference that Good was partaking in “domestic terrorism” and was attempting to “weaponize her vehicle” to attack ICE officers.

Tapper asked Noem about her statements, which he noted were made before an investigation was launched into the incident.

“Well, everything that I‘ve said has been proven to be factual and the truth,” Noem said. “This administration wants to operate in transparency. I have the responsibility as the secretary of Homeland Security to know this information as soon as possible. I had just been in Minneapolis the day before, had already had conversations with officers on the ground and supervisors, and knew the facts and decided that the department and the people of this country deserve to know the truth about the situation of what had unfolded in Minneapolis.”

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KRISTI NOEM FIRES BACK AT DEMS AMID IMPEACHMENT THREAT OVER FATAL MINNEAPOLIS ICE SHOOTING

Federal law enforcement is investigating a fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

“With all due respect, Secretary, the first thing you said was, ‘what happened was our ICE officers were out in an enforcement action. They got stuck in the snow because of the adverse weather that is in Minneapolis. They were attempting to push out their vehicle and a woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle,’” Tapper said, summarizing her remarks. “That‘s not what happened. We all saw what happened.”

“It absolutely is what happened,” Noem said.

She continued arguing that evidence showed Good had been attempting to block the road and impede federal law enforcement investigations before finally using her car to attack ICE agents.

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TOM EMMER PUSHES BACK ON SUGGESTION THAT MINNESOTA ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS HAVE BEEN PEACEFUL

Tapper continued to question Noem’s use of the term “domestic terrorist” and how Noem could be certain of her assertions.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has accused the shooting victim of taking part in “domestic terrorism.” (Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images)

“And the question is, I don‘t doubt…my position is I wasn‘t there,” Tapper said. “I didn‘t see it. Some people say that it clearly showed that she was trying to hit him and did. Some people say no, she was clearly trying to move her car and flee and get away. I don‘t know. What I‘m saying is, how do you know? How can you assert for a fact within hours before any investigation this is what happened?”

“The facts of the situation are that the vehicle was weaponized, and it attacked the law enforcement officer. He defended himself, and he defended those individuals around him. That is the definition. When there is something that is weaponized to use against the public and law enforcement, that is an act of domestic terrorism happened in our shores. It happened here in our country. You don‘t get to change the facts just because you don‘t like them,” Noem said, adding that an investigation is ongoing for potential motivation.

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VANCE CALLS CNN, OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS ‘ABSOLUTE DISGRACE’ OVER WHAT THEY LEFT OUT OF MINNEAPOLIS ICE SHOOTING

Noem later accused Tapper of pushing an “untruthful” depiction of the event, leading Tapper to repeatedly push back against her during the interview.

“We’ve all seen the video. I don‘t need to relitigate it. We‘ve all seen the video. She is blocking the street. They approach her,” Tapper said.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem defended the actions of the ICE officer during the shooting while appearing on CNN. (Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images)

“You haven‘t seen the video of the entire morning in the previous encounters with this individual,” Noem said.

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“We have aired it. Yes, we have. On Thursday, we were airing and noting the fact that she was there for several minutes, for minutes and minutes and minutes. She was protesting without question,” Tapper responded.

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“At those previous locations that morning, that, absolutely, that these vehicles had been previously down the block on video that you haven‘t seen. There’s more information,” Noem said.

Noem announced earlier on Sunday that the federal government is sending hundreds of additional federal officers to Minnesota in response to the shooting.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit man arrested following manhunt for double murder in Tennessee

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Detroit man arrested following manhunt for double murder in Tennessee


STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – A 28-year-old man from Detroit has been arrested for the murder of two people in Tennessee.

Troy Hutchinson and Rodrell Jeter were shot and killed Nov. 16, 2025, outside Nashville, Tennessee. A third man was hospitalized with critical injuries.

Police believe four men were traveling from Detroit to Atlanta in a Ford Bronco when the fourth man opened fire on the victims before leaving in the vehicle. The Bronco was found abandoned in Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati in Ohio.

Jeter and the man who was hospitalized were both from Detroit, while Hutchinson is from Atlanta.

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A motive for the shooting remains unknown.

In late November, police identified the suspect as Dashonn Moten. He was indicted on 17 counts, including two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and two counts of felony murder.

After nearly two months, Moten was arrested Friday, Jan. 10, in Sterling Heights and is awaiting extradition to Tennessee for his arraignment.

If convicted, Moten faces possible execution.

Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee County gets $25M federal grant for 67 road safety projects

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Milwaukee County gets M federal grant for 67 road safety projects


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  • Milwaukee County will receive nearly $25 million in federal funding for traffic safety projects.
  • The 67 projects will target 10 of the county’s most hazardous roadways in several municipalities.
  • Upgrades will include improved pedestrian infrastructure, intersection updates, and traffic calming measures.
  • Officials estimate the projects could reduce fatal and serious injury crashes by 26%–50%.

Milwaukee County will receive nearly $25 million in federal funding for 67 traffic safety projects along 10 of the county’s most hazardous roadways, according to a Jan. 12 announcement from County Executive David Crowley’s office.

That funding will support upgrades for pedestrian infrastructure, intersections and high-speed corridors in Milwaukee, West Allis, Glendale, Brown Deer, Shorewood and on multiple county highways.

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Collectively, these projects could reduce fatal and serious injury crashes in hazardous areas by 26%–50% and save an estimated $1.2 billion in car crash costs over 20 years, according to the announcement.

Preliminary designs are anticipated to begin in 2027, with all projects completed by 2031.

The funding comes through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant, which the county’s Department of Transportation applied for in 2025 as part of its Complete Communities Transportation Planning Project, an initiative to increase safety and reduce reckless driving across its roadways. 

Already, the county has analyzed crash data, identified 25 “Corridors of Concern,” and reviewed potential project opportunities.

Milwaukee County’s award amounts to the third-largest grant in the federal program’s 2025 funding cycle. It will be managed by the county and distributed to the five municipal recipients.

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The municipalities will lead the projects and provide a 20% local match to support costs.

More details about the projects’ locations will be posted on the transportation department’s website, according to the announcement.

The 65 infrastructure projects and two studies enabled by the grant aim to improve safety along 10 hazardous roadways the county has identified. 

Pedestrian infrastructure upgrades will include high-visibility crosswalks, upgraded pedestrian walk signals, restricting right-turn-on-red options, and sidewalk network expansion.

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Intersection upgrades will include traffic signal upgrades, better visibility for pedestrians, bump-outs, and select geometric realignments. High-speed corridor upgrades will entail traffic calming improvements that help drivers stay in their lanes.

One of the projects will also seek to reduce reckless driving on the 16th Street viaduct, the 27th Street viaduct and the 35th Street viaduct. 

The grant will also fund a safety analysis study on West Lincoln Avenue between South 124th Street and South 52nd Street, which will issue recommendations for future projects. The grant will also fund a county Department of Transportation report assessing the county’s progress toward the Vision Zero goal.

Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13.

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