Midwest
Chicago blocks proposal that'd allow law enforcement to cooperate with ICE on targeting criminal migrants
The Chicago city council on Wednesday blocked a proposal that would have allowed local law enforcement to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain migrants with a criminal record.
Chicago’s “welcoming city” ordinance, in compliance with the 2017 Illinois Trust Act, prohibits local law enforcement from participating in federal immigration enforcement.
Ald Ray Lopez and Silvana Tabares wanted to change the ordinance to enable police to cooperate with ICE to target migrants who had been arrested for gang or drug-related activities or sexual crimes involving minors. Their measure received backlash from activist groups when they first introduced the measure in 2023.
The two officials saw their proposed amendment get struck down by a 39-11 vote.
CHICAGO FAITH LEADERS BRACE FOR MASS DEPORTATIONS, CEASE HOSTING IN-PERSON SPANISH SERVICES: REPORT
Jordan, a resident of Chicago, slammed the proposed amendment to the city’s ordinance prohibiting local law enforcement from working with ICE.
Before Chicago officials voted down the proposed amendment, Jordan Kelly, a member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and resident of 30th ward, spoke out against Lopez and Tabares’ proposed amendment.
“Self-hating cowards such as Ray Lopez and Tabares want to turn our city into a hell for migrants who are not only Latin, by the way. CAIR Chicago has 40-50 open asylum cases currently. What do we tell these people and families if we don’t remain a sanctuary? Plus, our economy cannot handle mass deportations,” Kelly said.
Immigration has been heated issue in the Windy City as officials have had to grapple with a surge of migrants over the past several years. Many Chicago residents are frustrated with city officials, particularly Mayor Brandon Johnson and his handling of the situation.
One resident who spoke at the city council meeting on Wednesday slammed Johnson
“Who are you loyal to? The American citizens in Chicago or the illegal immigrants in Chicago?,” the man said. “The sanctuary law that Brandon Johnson allowed has brought criminals, drug dealers, and now terrorists.”
One resident slammed Mayor Brandon Johnson for making the city a “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants.
The vote to block the measure came after Johnson last week issued new guidelines ahead of President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House.
Johnson’s guidelines advise that if ICE should enter city property to “contact your agency or department’s designated attorney or general counsel for further guidance. Contact the highest ranking official or designated supervisor onsite and do not take any action until that person arrives.”
The guidance advises officials to demand copies of warrants, not to consent to ICE entering “any private or ‘sensitive’ locations,” but not to interfere with any search, even if refused. There are other recommendations, like taking notes and keeping contemporaneous written records.
CHICAGO REMOVES LARGEST HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT, RELOCATES TENT RESIDENTS INTO APARTMENTS AND SHELTERS: REPORT
In response to the mayor’s guidelines, Lopez said Johnson is making an “extraordinary effort” to stop his proposal of removing migrants with a criminal record.
“I am surprised, actually, that the mayor is going through this extraordinary effort to try and stop what Ald. Tabares and I want to do, which is to remove the small number of individuals who choose to commit crimes in the City of Chicago,” Lopez told FOX 32 Chicago. “The narrative out there by the mayor and his allies is that we’re trying to remove everyone—that’s simply not the case.”
Chicago residents ripped Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to his face during a recent City Council meeting convened to vote on his new property tax hike proposal. (Reuters/Vincent Alban)
Trump’s border czar pick, Tom Homan, pledged to go after Chicago with strict enforcement, vowing to verify the status of asylum seekers and arrest anyone providing sanctuary to illegal immigrants.
The incoming border czar also warned that Johnson would be prosecuted should he obstruct ICE’s mass deportation efforts.
Lopez nor Tabares did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Wisconsin
Polaris to lay off 200 Wisconsin workers, close facility in Osceola
The move comes after Polaris announced it was separating from Indian Motorcycle.
Powersports company Polaris has announced it plans to wind down the operations at its facility in Osceola which specializes in manufacturing Indian Motorcycle.
The move impacts roughly 200 Wisconsin workers at the facility.
On Jan. 27, during a fourth quarter and full year earnings call for 2025, Polaris said the company expects to sell Indian Motorcycle by the end of the first quarter of 2026 to Carolwood, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles. However the company plans to maintain some stake in the company.
Polaris officials said called the sale of Indian Motorcycle was a “difficult decision” and added it was a “move that we believe is best for Polaris and Indian Motorcycle.”
In a post on X, Wisconsin Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin said:
“We have seen this story in Wisconsin too many times – a private equity firm buys a company, hollows it out, & fires its workers, all to pad their profits. It’s simply wrong.”
Midwest
Trump hits the road to sell economic wins, as Republicans brace for high-stakes midterm showdown
Trump to deliver speech in Iowa on energy, economy
President Trump is headed to Iowa to push his affordability agenda. FOX Business host Taylor Riggs breaks down the current economic wins Trump could highlight, including GDP growth and real wage increases.
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Facing a rough political climate as his party aims to hold their House and Senate majorities in this year’s midterm elections, President Donald Trump on Tuesday kicks off what the White House says will be weekly stops in states with key ballot box showdowns.
It’s part of the president’s push to showcase he’s working to combat rising prices, a top issue on the minds of Americans. And as the Trump administration reels amid two fatal shootings by federal agents in Minnesota this month of U.S. citizens protesting aggressive tactics to deport millions of undocumented migrants, it’s also an effort to pivot to the economy from immigration.
Trump’s first stop is Iowa, a one-time Midwestern battleground turned red-leaning state the president carried by double digits in 2024 where Republicans are now playing defense as they defend open Senate and gubernatorial seats, as well as three competitive GOP-controlled House districts.
In suburban Des Moines, Trump will visit a local business, meet with lawmakers, and deliver an address on the economy.
SHOWDOWN FOR THE HOUSE: DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS BRACE FOR HIGH-STAKES MIDTERM CLASH
President Donald Trump launched the year-long countdown to America’s 250th anniversary, with a stop at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, on July 3, 2025. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“The economy is good. It’s all good. Prices are coming way down, and we have a lot of very positive news,” Trump touted as he departed for Iowa.
And ahead of the trip, a White House official told Fox News Digital, “Inflation has cooled, economic growth is accelerating, and real wages are up for American workers.”
Deep concerns over inflation boosted Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories at the ballot box in 2024, as they won back the White House and Senate and keep their House majority.
But Democrats say their decisive victories in November’s 2025 elections, and their overperformances in special elections and other ballot box showdowns last year, were fueled by their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation.
The president’s approval on the economy has consistently hovered in negative territory since last March, and has dragged down his overall approval ratings during his first year back in the White House.
Among the most recent national polls — a Wall Street Journal survey conducted earlier this month put Trump’s approval rating on the economy at 44%-54%, and he stood at 35%-56% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll in the field this past weekend.
TRUMP VOWS HE’LL BE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL ‘A LOT’ THIS YEAR
“Donald Trump has tanked the economy for working families, making the cost-of-living an inescapable hell for millions of Americans. Everyday Americans are drowning under the weight of rising costs, flat wages, high unemployment, and record layoffs — it’s no wonder they’re concerned about making ends meet,” Democratic National Committee Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer argued in a statement.
But the Wall Street Journal poll indicated that congressional Republicans had an 11-point advantage over their Democratic rivals when it came to which party was better equipped to handle the economy.
Iowa is friendly ground for Trump, who convincingly won the state in his two presidential victories and one re-election defeat.
President Donald Trump celebrates his victory in Iowa’s Republican presidential caucuses, at a campaign event in Des Moines on Jan. 15, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
But a memo from Democratic National Committee (DNC) Deputy Communications Director Abhi Rahman claimed, “However hard Trump tries to explain away his failing economy, it’s abundantly clear that Americans aren’t buying it, especially in Iowa, where Trump’s policies are raising costs for Iowans, devastating Iowa’s agricultural economy, and destroying thousands of jobs that working Iowans rely on.”
The White House disagrees, with the official arguing that “Iowans are better off with President Trump and Republican leadership,” noting that gas prices in the state “ranked the second lowest in the nation.”
And pointing to the various tax cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Trump’s domestic legislative achievement so far in his second term, the official said, “Iowans could see their wages rise up to $61,000 over the next four years.”
TRUMP CHEERS STEADY INFLATION NUMBERS AS AFFORDABILITY FIGHT SHAPES 2026 MIDTERM BATTLE
The GOP, as it works to hold its congressional majorities, is dealing with a low propensity issue: MAGA voters who don’t always go to the polls when Trump’s name isn’t on the ballot.
But even though he’s not on the ballot this year, Trump pledged last week that he’ll be on the campaign trail “a lot” on behalf of fellow Republicans running in the midterms.
President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to deliver remarks on the U.S. economy and affordability at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, Dec. 9, 2025. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Trump made stops last month and earlier this month in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Michigan to highlight his accomplishments on the economy.
And the weekly trips advertised by the White House are a big change from Trump’s first term, when the president didn’t start his campaign travel blitz until Labor Day.
Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters emphasized in a Fox News Digital interview earlier this month that “the President of the United States is our secret weapon… He’s laser focused.”
“We got to make sure we turn our voters out, and we got to make sure that we have people energized. And there’s nobody that can energize our base more than President Trump,” Gruters added.
And the White House official said that the president “has always been most in his element when he’s interacting with everyday Americans, and the President’s domestic travel will allow him to most effectively underscore how this Administration has and continues to deliver economic prosperity for the American people.”
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Democrats are just fine with Trump hitting the road.
“Trump has historically low approval ratings because he has put America last, sold out working families to hand out favors to billionaires, and made life unaffordable. Hitting the road will only remind Americans of his failures and force GOP candidates to tie themselves to his cratering presidency,” DNC chair Ken Martin argued in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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Detroit, MI
Detroit handling dozens of water main breaks amid frigid stretch
DETROIT (FOX 2) – The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) is dealing with dozens of water main breaks around the city as a cold snap continues.
Gary Brown, the DWSD director, said Tuesday morning that there were “at least a couple dozen” water main breaks.
Water main break flooding:
At least three of those water main breaks led to flooding, which then resulted in frozen streets.
People on Laing near Britain, not far from Morang, have reportedly been complaining about a water main break since Monday, and 911 dispatchers have fielded calls about vehicles stuck in the ice and water.
Another water main break flooded about ⅔ of Bringard near Barlow, which is south of Eight Mile, before freezing.
Also on the east side, a water main break with less severe flooding was reported on Dequindre near State Fair.
What they’re saying:
“This is historic, regionally, to have this deep of a freeze for this long of a period of time,” Brown said.
According to Brown, the breaks have been the result of frigid temperatures and shifting.
Dozens of water main breaks reported in Detroit
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is going to be busy Tuesday, handling dozens of water main breaks around the city. Department director Gary Brown said a historic deep freeze is leading to a high number of breaks all at once.
What’s next:
Brown said the department is prioritizing which breaks get repaired first.
“The prioritization is any person or street that may be completely out of water,” he said, noting that as of Monday night, no residents were out of water.
While crews work to repair the breaks, the water department is urging residents to be patient.
“When you’ve got 30 or 40 water main breaks, we can’t get to everyone at the same time,” Brown said.
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