About 250 students walked out of Huntley High School Friday in protest of ICE, the latest in a series of such high school rallies in the McHenry County area and beyond.

Jeffrey Magnussen: The County should support law enforcement actions including ICE. I do not understand why we would make it harder for law enforcement to remove illegal, law breaking individuals. Read Magnussen's full election questionnaire here

A Republican candidate for Illinois’ 6th Congressional District seat said the U.S. should close its borders to all would-be immigrants until reforms are enacted.

Dillan Vancil: Congress should stop using band‑aid bailouts and fix trade policy so farmers are not collateral damage every time there’s a trade war. Read Vancil's full questionnaire here

Minnesota and federal authorities are investigating the alleged beating of a Mexican citizen by immigration officers last month, seeking to identify what caused the eight skull fractures that landed the man in the intensive care unit of a Minneapolis hospital

Democratic 52nd District Illinois House candidates Erin Chan Ding and Maria Peterson have similar views on immigration enforcement and the Illinois TRUST Act.

About a dozen people gathered Sunday for a Melt the Ice knit-along in Downers Grove. Knitters created Melt the Ice beanies and raised more than $500 for organizations supporting immigrant rights

The Republicans running for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District seat have different ideas for U.S. immigration policy, some of which diverge from President Donald Trump’s approach.

Immigration policy was among the issues debated by three of the four Republican candidates for the 8th Congressional District at a recent forum.

Democratic front-runners in the primary race for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat sparred over campaign donations and weighed in on space aliens at a Monday debate hosted by Fox 32.

About 200 Kankakee High School students participated in a walkout just after 12:30 p.m. Friday in protest of national immigration policies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions.

‘It’s beautiful. It feels like the most American thing,’ a Bolingbrook High School student protester said on Friday as she joined hundreds of students at the school in walking out to march against Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions.

From Capitol News Illinois: Federal Judge Jeffrey Cummings ordered the Department of Homeland Security on Friday to release four people arrested without warrants amid ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ by Monday evening

Students throughout northern Illinois walked out of school on Friday to protest the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement

About 200 Kankakee High School students participated in a walkout in protest of national immigration policies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. See photos from the march.

More students from schools across McHenry County walked out of class Friday to protest the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

The Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office announced it is conducting an independent review into allegations that “excessive force” was used by the Aurora Police Department during a student walkout protest on Feb. 9 against federal immigration arrests.

Many – but not all – of the Democratic candidates for Illinois’ largely suburban 9th Congressional District seat believe the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency should be abolished.

The immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to mass detentions, protests and two deaths is coming to an end, border czar Tom Homan said Thursday

About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say President Donald Trump has “gone too far” in sending federal immigration agents into American cities, according to a new AP-NORC poll that suggests political independents are increasingly uncomfortable with his tactics

During a student-led walkout protesting federal immigration arrests, three students from East Aurora High School were taken into custody by police, but video has some questioning police tactics.

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I intend to address the affordability crisis head-on. President Trump and his Administration have hurt working families through reckless policies like blanket tariffs that have fueled rising prices. Read Krishnamoorthi's full questionnaire here

At least two dozen U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees and contractors have been charged with crimes since 2020, and their documented wrongdoing includes patterns of physical and sexual abuse, corruption and other abuses of authority

DeKalb High School students marched from the high school to Hopkins Park on Tuesday, part of a planned walkout to protest immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. "I just wanted to express my opinion," junior Dysenia Lopez said.

Todd Lyons, the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, defended his agency’s officers before Congress on Tuesday, standing behind their tactics and saying they would not be intimidated as they carry out the president’s mass deportation plans

About 100 Crystal Lake Central High School students walked out of class Monday to protest the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Skylar Duensing: On day one of my time in office, I will immediately work to lower taxes and make life more affordable, secure our borders and enhance public safety, and promote job growth and American manufacturing. Read Duensing's full questionnaire here

Leslie Juby: Building trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement leads to safer neighborhoods and allows scarce resources to remain focused on local crime prevention and investigation. Read Juby's full election questionnaire here

Don Tracy on top priorities for the U.S. Senate: I will push for common sense solutions that make life more affordable for working families. This includes lowering energy and gas costs, health care costs, taxes, and inflation. Read Tracy's full election questionnaire here

Pamela Denise Long on immigration priorities: 1. No amnesty. 2. Change the “nation of immigrants” rhetoric. 3. Change the “legal good/illegal bad” narrative: Mass immigration both legal and illegal hurts the American citizen. Read Long's full election questionnaire here

Bryan Maxwell, a senate candidate on his top priority: Passing Medicare for All, to begin gradual transition of Americans to the Medicare program. Read Maxwell's full election questionnaire here

Robin Kelly: People are paying too much for healthcare. I will never give up fighting for Americans to have access to quality care. As a member of the Medicare for All Caucus, I am working to make Medicare for All the law of the land. Read Kelly's full questionnaire here

Joseph Flanagan on a top priority for Bureau County Sheriff: Building relationships with all schools within Bureau County to assist in getting grants to implement School Resource Officers within each school district. Read Flanagan's full election questionnaire here

Michael Wittig: My top three priorities as sheriff are community-first policing, youth engagement, and strengthening our mental health response. Read Wittig's full election questionnaire here

Tom Kammerer: I intend to be accessible as Sheriff. I do not like sitting in the office so you will see me, as you do now as chief, patrolling and being present throughout the county. Read Kammerer's full election questionnaire here

A teacher at Gary Elementary School in West Chicago has resigned after posting a pro-ICE comment on social media.

Students from Joliet Central and Joliet West high schools took to the streets on Friday as part of a nationwide walkout to protest actions of ICE agents.

Students from Oswego High School walked out of the school shortly before noon Friday, many of them held signs condemning the actions of ICE.

Mike Simmons: I will advocate for major federal investment in public transit, including CTA and regional rail, because reliable transit is essential to economic opportunity in Chicagoland. Read his full election questionnaire here

Laura Fine on a top priority for Congress: Grocery prices and overall inflation remain unacceptably high for most Americans, and families are feeling the strain every single day. To improve the economic outlook, we must take decisive steps. Read Fine's full questionnaire here

Editor’s note: Today marks the second of a two-part series about automated license plate readers in northern Illinois. Thursday’s installment focused on cities' successes. Today’s installment examines privacy concerns, national controversies, and ongoing debate

Hundreds of Joliet Central and Joliet West high school students took to the streets to protest the actions of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as part of a nationwide student walkout on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.

A West Chicago District 33 teacher whose pro-immigration agent comment on social media was criticized by many people has resigned

Yasmeen Bankole: Our rail infrastructure has lagged behind that of other advanced nations. It’s time to treat passenger rail not as an afterthought, but as a vital government service. Read Bankole's full election questionnaire here

The Downers Grove Village Council has approved an ordinance prohibiting ICE from staging on village property

Ben McAdams on a top priority for the district: Investing more in public healthcare and healthcare infrastructure to make it affordable for Illinoisans. Read McAdams' full election questionnaire here

This ordinance would clarify that village-owned property should not be used for civil immigration enforcement activities.

The Trump administration is reducing the number of immigration officers in Minnesota but will continue its enforcement operation that has sparked weeks of tensions and deadly confrontations, border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday

Amy Johnson on the SAFE-T-Act: I would also support continued evaluation of outcomes using data, particularly regarding public safety, court appearance rates, and victim impact, so adjustments are based on evidence. Read Johnson's full questionnaire here

Rob Russell: The Safe-T Act has had both positive and negative effects. Almost all of the positive aspects were already being implemented by responsible organizations. Read Russell's full questionnaire here