Chlebek says Illinois has ‘No Excuse’ as Florida advances property tax plan

Florida voters may soon decide on eliminating property taxes. Casey Chlebek says Illinois should give voters the same chance.

PARK RIDGE, ILL - In a political moment where property taxes are usually treated as an unavoidable fact of life, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Casey Chlebek says Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis just cracked the door wide open and Illinois leaders are pretending not to notice.

As DeSantis moves forward with a 2026 ballot initiative that would eliminate property taxes on primary residences in Florida, Chlebek is renewing his call for Illinois to let voters weigh in on whether the state should do the same. For Chlebek, the contrast between Florida’s momentum and Illinois’ silence is becoming harder to ignore.

Illinois has the highest effective property tax rate in the nation. Florida does not rank in the top 20.

“Governor DeSantis just proved this isn’t a pipe dream,” Chlebek said. “Florida is putting this question directly to voters in 2026. Illinois should do the same.”

DeSantis announced last week that Florida voters will be asked to approve a constitutional amendment eliminating property taxes on homesteaded properties. The proposal would require 60 percent voter approval and includes safeguards to protect funding for schools and law enforcement. It also lays out a phased approach that includes $1,000 rebate checks for homeowners in December 2025 and long-term revenue replacement through spending reforms and alternative funding sources.

Chlebek has been making a similar argument in Illinois since September, when he first called on Gov. JB Pritzker and the General Assembly to place a statewide advisory referendum on the 2026 ballot. Florida’s move, he said, strips away the usual excuses coming out of Springfield.

Illinois has the highest effective property tax rate in the nation. Florida does not rank in the top 20. Yet Florida’s governor is pushing for elimination while Illinois leaders continue to describe meaningful reform as too complicated or politically risky.

“We have the worst property tax crisis in America, and our leaders are doing nothing,” Chlebek said. “Florida’s taxes are lower than ours, and they’re still saying enough is enough.”

The stakes, he argues, are not theoretical. Since 2019, more than 1,000 Cook County residents have lost homes worth an estimated $108 million over roughly $2.3 million in unpaid property taxes. That group included at least 125 seniors. The difference between the tax debt and the home’s value was kept by the government and private investors, a practice the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in 2023.

Families across the political spectrum are drowning in property taxes.

Despite that ruling, Illinois has yet to fully reform its property tax foreclosure laws.

“In Florida, they’re fighting to eliminate property taxes for homeowners who can pay,” Chlebek said. “In Illinois, we’re seizing homes from seniors who fall behind and keeping their equity. That’s not tax collection. That’s state-sanctioned theft.”

Florida is not acting alone. Republican leaders in Texas, Kansas, Montana and Pennsylvania are advancing their own property tax relief or elimination proposals. Several states have already moved to stop home equity theft following the Supreme Court’s decision. Illinois, Chlebek noted, has done neither.

“This is a national movement, and Illinois is being left behind,” he said.

Chlebek’s proposal would place a nonbinding advisory question on the November 2026 ballot asking voters whether Illinois should pursue abolishing property taxes on primary residences and replace them with alternative funding for schools, police, fire protection and local services. While local governments control property taxes under the Illinois Constitution, Chlebek says an overwhelming vote would send a clear signal to lawmakers.

“Put it on the ballot. Let the people decide,” he said. “If they say yes, Springfield has to act. If they say no, fine. But at least give them the choice.”

He points to Florida as proof that the issue can cut across political divides. DeSantis and the Florida Legislature have clashed on other issues, yet both chambers are aligned on sending the property tax question to voters.

“This isn’t partisan. It’s practical,” Chlebek said. “Families across the political spectrum are drowning in property taxes.”

For Chlebek, the issue comes down to the basic meaning of homeownership.

“You can pay off your mortgage and still lose your home if you fall behind on taxes,” he said. “That’s not ownership. Florida gets it. Illinois voters get it. Now it’s time Springfield gets it, too.”

Illinois property tax reform referendum 2026, Casey Chlebek property tax abolition proposal, Illinois home equity theft property taxes, comparison of Illinois and Florida property tax laws, Illinois advisory referendum on property taxes

Illinois Governor signs bill enacting immigrant protections in and around state courthouses

New Illinois law protects people attending court, making them “privileged from civil arrest inside state courthouses and within a 1,000-foot buffer zone outside of the buildings.

by Brenden Moore
Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - Christening it as part of a “nation-leading” response to aggressive federal immigration raids, Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation Tuesday allowing Illinois residents to sue immigration agents who arrest them in or near courthouses or if they believe their constitutional rights were violated.

The new law — which lawmakers have acknowledged is likely to face a legal challenge — also requires public colleges and universities, hospitals and child care facilities to set up policies for dealing with immigration enforcement and mostly prohibits them from disclosing the immigration status of students, patients, parents and children.

“Together, we're sending a message to Donald Trump, to Kristi Noem, to Gregory Bovino and anyone else seeking to terrorize our people: Your divisiveness and your brutality are not welcome here,” Pritzker said, surrounded by state lawmakers and immigrant rights advocates in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.

“We know that this new set of laws can't mitigate all of the harm, but it gives us new protective tools and is a symbol of our shared action against those terrorizing, our communities and our state,” Pritzker said.

Response to ‘Midway Blitz’

The Democrat-led state legislature passed the bill in late October during the height of the federal immigration enforcement campaign known as “Operation Midway Blitz.”

Our rights follow us into the courthouse, onto campus, to the hospital and when taking our kids to day care

The Department of Homeland Security said the operation, which launched in September and wound down last month, resulted in the arrest of more than 3,000 immigrants who were living in Chicago and its suburbs without legal permission.

Though federal officials claimed they were targeting the “worst of the worst,” DHS data indicates that most arrested had no prior criminal convictions or pending charges.

The raids often led to violent confrontations between masked federal agents and protestors during various operations in the city and suburbs, including near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in suburban Broadview. Many of these skirmishes resulted in the deployment of tear gas and other chemical agents.

Bovino and about 200 Border Patrol agents under his command left Chicago for southern states last month, though they could be back fourfold this March, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said the law “sends the message that if you abuse your authority, there are consequences.”

“Our rights follow us into the courthouse, onto campus, to the hospital and when taking our kids to day care,” Harmon said. “No one gets to take them away. We are providing the victims of this chaotic federal assault a clear, legal path to go after their abusers and hold them accountable.”

With Pritzker’s signature, all people attending court are considered “privileged from civil arrest” inside state courthouses and within a 1,000-foot buffer zone outside of the buildings.

Illinois Republicans have criticized the provision, arguing that it would have unintended consequences for state and local law enforcement.

Though there had long been a de facto understanding that such facilities were off-limits for immigration enforcement, they have increasingly been the site of apprehensions over the past year. Those who violate the act could be liable for statutory damages of $10,000.

It gives people arrested under those circumstances the right to sue the agents who detained them.

Criticisms and potential challenge

The law also allows residents to sue immigration agents for violating their constitutional right to due process and protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

They would be able to collect punitive damages that can increase if the agents are wearing masks, concealing their identities, failing to wear body cameras or using a vehicle with a non-Illinois or obscured license plate.

Illinois Republicans have criticized the provision, arguing that it would have unintended consequences for state and local law enforcement. It also likely invites a legal challenge from the Trump Administration on the grounds that it violates the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution.

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLauglin told Capitol News Illinois in an emailed statement that Pritzker “must be unfamiliar with the U.S. Constitution.”

“By signing this law, Pritzker violated the supremacy clause, his oath he took as governor to ‘support the Constitution of the United States’ — which itself falls under the oaths clause of the Constitution,” McLaughlin said. “We hope the headlines, social media likes, and fundraising emails he did this for are worth it!”

Harmon acknowledged in October that the law would likely be challenged, though Pritzker — one of Trump’s most pugnacious critics and seen as a potential 2028 Democratic candidate for president — said Tuesday that he believed it to be “in good shape.”

“Whenever you enact something that is tough, that is about protecting people, there are going to be people out there who attack it,” Pritzker said. “No doubt they have the ability to go to court about it. But I believe this is not just a good law, but a great law.”

Day cares, colleges and hospitals

The law requires all general acute care hospitals to implement a policy for interactions with law enforcement by Jan. 1. All other hospitals need a plan in place by March 1.

The law also prohibits day care centers from sharing the immigration status of children or parents unless required by law.

Illinois colleges and universities will need to have procedures in place for approving requests from law enforcement agents attempting to enter campus by the new year.

The law also prohibits day care centers from sharing the immigration status of children or parents unless required by law. It also requires the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Illinois Department of Early Childhood to provide “know your rights” materials and preparedness plans to families on their websites.

Day cares will also need to adopt plans for interacting with law enforcement agents and notifying parents if agents request a child’s information. State Rep. Norma Hernandez, D-Melrose Park, said that the fatal shooting of unarmed father and Mexican immigrant Silverio Villegas González in September by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer after dropping off his two young sons at school and day care in the Chicago area “reminds us why this law matters so deeply.”

“His death was not an isolated tragedy,” Hernandez said. “It is a painful reminder that without strong protections, everyday life becomes a place of danger, and that is where we are right now.”

In addition to the law, Pritzker signed an executive order in October creating the Illinois Accountability Commission, which has been tasked with producing a public record of alleged abuses perpetrated by federal agents during “Operation Midway Blitz.”

It will also examine the impact of such conduct on Illinois residents and communities and offer recommendations for accountability and reform.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

TAGS: Illinois send message to Donald Trump, New law prohibits university and hospitals from telling ICE immigration status, Illinois courthouse bill passed in October, 3,000 immigrants without status arrested in Illinois, Law gives people the right to sue customs agents

From kitchen table to grocery shelves: Illinois prepares for SNAP freeze

Governor JB Pritzker triggers $20 million in state aid to Illinois food banks even as a federal court weighs emergency funding for SNAP amid the shutdown.

by Maggie Dougherty
Capitol News Illinois

CHICAGO - Illinois mother of four and food delivery driver Aubrey Lewandowski says she immediately started rationing the food she had left after getting a text alerting her that her Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits may not come through next month.

Lewandowski will be forced to choose between buying healthy food for her four children and paying rent and utility bills if the federal government does not allocate emergency funds by the Nov. 1 deadline.

Photo: Maggie Dougherty/Capitol News Illinois

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton speaks on Oct. 30 with food assistance advocates and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients about the impact of a looming federal cutoff in SNAP funding.

She is one of roughly 1.9 million people in Illinois and 42 million across the country who depend on SNAP benefits each month. Illinois oversees the distribution of $350 million in federal SNAP benefits to qualifying low-income and disabled individuals and households each month.

Illinois and other states sued the Trump administration earlier this week, arguing that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has the money to continue paying SNAP benefits using contingency funds appropriated by Congress for emergencies such as the government shutdown that began Oct. 1.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani indicated in court Thursday morning that she would issue a ruling later in the day. She appeared to favor arguments requiring the government to allocate billions of dollars in emergency funds for SNAP.

Pritzker’s executive order

While awaiting Talwani’s ruling, Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order allocating $20 million in state funding as a stopgap measure to support Illinois’s seven food banks, which supply over 2,600 food pantries across the state.

Half of the funding comes from the state’s Budget Reserve for Immediate Disbursements and Governmental Emergencies Fund, or BRIDGE, and the rest comes from the Illinois Department of Human Services. Lawmakers put $100 million into the BRIDGE fund last year to deal with emergencies caused by federal funding changes.

Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference Thursday morning that the federal government had decided to shut down the SNAP machines, meaning the state could not deposit funds directly into SNAP accounts even if it wanted to. He called the decision “insidious.”

Food assistance advocates and state officials acknowledged that the state funds to food banks would not be enough to fill the gap left by shutting off federal funds. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton called the funding “a drop in the bucket” at a news conference Thursday morning.

Kate Maehr, executive director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, said food pantries in Cook County alone support more than 900,000 people, amounting to an estimated $45 to 50 million in weekly benefits for that area alone.

Nearly 400,000 additional people in Illinois may lose their SNAP benefits

To make the $20 million gift from the state go as far as possible, Maehr said the food banks will prioritize purchasing shelf-stable foods like dry rice and pasta.

In the previous 24 hours, Maehr said food banks in the area had received an uptick in phone calls from people asking how they could help. But she has also heard that donors are fatigued, with most food banks in the state now serving double the number of people they served prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last year, the seven food banks that serve Illinois all hit record numbers of monthly visits, according to Maehr.

She attributed that increase to rising costs of food and housing and disinvestments in people’s safety nets.

Even if SNAP funding is resumed immediately, Maehr said, another crisis looms. New rules going into effect on Dec. 1 will result in 17,000 legal immigrants having their SNAP benefits revoked, Maehr said. Nearly 400,000 additional people in Illinois may lose their SNAP benefits in March 2026 amid new paperwork requirements to demonstrate employment, according to the governor’s office.

“We are bracing ourselves,” Maehr said. “It’s not for one crisis, but for a series of crises.”

Advocates argue the ramifications for the state stretch beyond the direct hunger of SNAP recipients, but also to store owners, suppliers and ultimately Illinois farmers.

Grocer sees Catch 22

Liz Abunaw owns and operates Forty Acres Fresh Market, an independent grocery store in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, a west side area where years of disinvestment have made access to fresh and nutritious foods a challenge.

The market opened its doors less than two months ago, but Abunaw said it is already facing a crisis.

“SNAP accounts for up to 20% of our revenue,” Abunaw said. “So, what does that mean when our customers who use SNAP cannot shop at our store anymore?” Like Lewandowski choosing between paying utility and other bills or buying food for her kids, Abunaw said she must make choices between payroll, rent and inventory.

It impacts the employees who she cannot afford to pay and the suppliers whose products she can no longer afford to buy, Abunaw said. “This is a domino effect that will reverberate from families to grocery stores to suppliers all the way down to our farmers if this madness is not stopped,” Abunaw said.

Every dollar in SNAP assistance results in a $1.50 economic boost for communities, according to Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Dulce Quintero. That comes out to a $7.2 billion annual impact on the state’s economy.

The SNAP program, also known as food stamps, has been administered continuously by the federal government for over 60 years and has never halted benefits, even during a government shutdown, Quintero said. Stratton called it a “false choice” by the Trump administration.

“They are choosing to let SNAP funds run out,” Stratton said. “President Trump is deliberately letting families go hungry, taking food off of the tables of children and weaponizing hunger for political leverage.”

An estimated 45% of SNAP households include children, and 44% include a person with a disability.

For parents like Lewandowski, who has two children diagnosed with autism and one with sensory processing needs, SNAP benefits provide access to the foods that meet her son’s needs but are not always available at food banks or pantries.

While she does rely on those resources, Lewandowski said the fresh produce, cheese, eggs and milk that her children need to grow up healthy are not always available there.

“I want to be able to provide my children with the best nutrition they can have. Healthy children do better in school, and they don’t get sick,” Lewandowski said.

• Maggie Dougherty is a freelance reporter covering the Chicago area.

TAGS: Illinois SNAP benefits halt 2025, food insecurity Illinois families, Illinois food banks funding crisis, impact of SNAP shutdown on Illinois grocers, emergency state funding food aid Illinois

State rep., comptroller candidate’s ICE disclosures draw threats from DOJ

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said federal agents who tamper with license plates are not above the law and could face fines or jail time.

by Maggie Dougherty
Capitol News Illinois

CHICAGO - As state officials continue seeking ways to counter aggressive immigration enforcement activity under President Donald Trump’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” state Rep. Margaret Croke has drawn ire online for an email sharing details about ICE vehicles.

Recent posts by right-wing accounts including Libs of TikTok and Donald Trump For President on Facebook have called on the U.S. Department of Justice to review an email they say was sent by comptroller candidate Croke to “dox” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

A screenshot of the email sent by Croke, D-Chicago, to constituents on Oct. 24 includes a “List of ICE Vehicles Seen Today,” including car makes, models and blacked out license plate numbers.

State Rep. Margaret Croke talks to reporters

Photo: Capitol News Illinois/Jerry Norwicki

State Rep. Margaret Croke talks to reporters outside the Illinois State Board of Elections building in Springfield on Monday, Oct. 27, as she waits to file her petitions to run for comptroller.State Rep. Margaret Croke talks to reporters outside the Illinois State Board of Elections building in Springfield on Monday, Oct. 27, as she waits to file her petitions to run for comptroller.

The screenshot also lists contact information for reporting ICE activity and connecting with other resources through the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights hotline.

“Just as we have witnessed in neighborhoods across our city, ICE is conducting their unlawful and undemocratic actions in the 12th House district, including the very block I reside on,” the screenshot reads.

It further encouraged people to record ICE detentions or use of force, as well as to run errands on behalf of individuals who are afraid to leave their homes due to ICE presence.

Capitol News Illinois confirmed that the email came from Croke’s office. A post on Croke’s Instagram shared some of the same language regarding ICE activity, hotlines and “Know Your Rights” resources but without the list of vehicles.

“I'm just doing what I think is right for my district,” Croke said in an interview with Capitol News Illinois. “I'm always going to keep fighting for my district. I'm always going to make sure that I'm doing the right thing, and I believe I'm on the right side of history.”

Another state legislator, Rep. Hoan Huynh, D-Chicago, recently said U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents pulled a gun on him after acting on a tip about ICE activity in Chicago’s Northwest Side.

Huynh said he was in the area to educate residents about their rights. He said agents immediately surrounded and harassed him. One of the agents pointed a gun at him, he said, though it was not caught on the cellphone footage he shared.

Recording government officials when they are performing their duties in public is protected by the First Amendment

According to the Illinois Civil Liability for Doxing Act, doxing refers to intentionally publishing another person’s personally identifiable information without consent and with the intent to harm or harass with reckless disregard for the person’s safety.

Publishing information to report conduct “reasonably believed to be unlawful” is not considered doxing under the law.

Croke’s office sent the email out after recent actions by Gov. JB Pritzker and Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias to create official channels for the public to report and document ICE activity they say is unlawful.

Recording government officials when they are performing their duties in public is protected by the First Amendment, according to Edwin Yohnka, director of communications and public policy at the ACLU of Illinois. Attempts to criminalize such expression, Yohnka said, raise serious constitutional concerns.

“Government accountability is a cornerstone of democracy,” Yohnka said. “Photographs and videos — including those capturing license plates or identifying details of federal agents — can be vital tools for transparency and for families trying to locate detained loved ones.”

The Department is actively tracking these targeted assaults against our law enforcement and will hold offenders accountable

Posts online sharing the screenshot claimed that the Department of Homeland Security had referred the case to the DOJ for review, citing DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a post on X.

“Heinous. We will prosecute those who dox ICE law enforcement to the fullest extent of the law — State Rep Croke is no exception,” says the quote attributed to McLaughlin.

DHS confirmed the statement was made by McLaughlin. Anthony Coley, who heads DOJ’s Office of Public Affairs, says the Department is tracking cases such as this and issued a warning to public officials involved.

“The Department is actively tracking these targeted assaults against our law enforcement and will hold offenders accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Coley said. “Any official encouraging reckless behavior should think twice before inciting further violence and putting federal agents in harm’s way.”

License plate hotline

The calls for charges against Croke came the same week as Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said federal agents may be subject to legal penalties for modifying and hiding state-issued license plates.

Giannoulias called on the public to help identify potential violations by making reports to a new “Plate Watch Hotline.”

Photo Illustration courtesy Capitol News Illinois

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announces a new Plate Watch Hotline in a YouTube video, in which an ICE agent apparently says, “You can record all you want. We change the plates out every day.”

The move follows public accounts and past reporting that federal immigration agents have been driving unmarked cars and vehicles without proper license plates.

“Swapping out Illinois license plates on Illinois registered vehicles is illegal,” Giannoulias said in a video posted to YouTube. “As secretary of state, I have zero tolerance for this type of illegal activity.”

With the exception of motorcycles, trailers and some trucks, Illinois law requires all licensed vehicles to display two plates, on the front and back of the vehicle.

Giannoulias said his office was actively investigating alleged violations, including a video circulated on social media that appears to show an ICE officer saying, “You can record all you want. We change the plates out every day.”

Penalties for putting a license plate on a vehicle other than the one to which it was issued, obscuring or otherwise modifying plates include fines or potential jail time, according to a news release issued with the hotline announcement video.

The office also said it has the authority to suspend or revoke the vehicles’ license plates.

“Flipping license plates or altering them in any way to avoid detection is strictly prohibited in Illinois,” Giannoulias said. “No one, including a federal agent, is above the law.”

Individuals seeking to make reports of license plate violations can contact the Secretary of State’s Plate Watch Hotline at (312) 814-1730 or email platewatch@ilsos.gov.

ICE accountability actions

The day after Giannoulias’ announcement, Pritzker signed an executive order forming a commission to document and investigate misconduct by federal agents.

State officials argue these steps are necessary to hold federal agents accountable after U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and ICE officials told U.S. District Court Judge Sara Ellis earlier this month that no agents had been disciplined for use of force while applying aggressive crowd control tactics on protesters.

Ellis extended a temporary restraining order earlier this month prohibiting immigration agents from using those tactics, including the use of chemical irritants, until Nov. 6.

A group of journalists and activists that sought the restraining order filed a notice to Ellis on Oct. 23 accusing Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino of violating the restraining order.

The notice alleges that Bovino that morning threw a tear gas canister “without justification” at protesters in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.

The filing cites video footage of the incident livestreamed on Facebook.

A federal judge last week ordered Bovino to testify in person about the incident in federal court on Tuesday.

In an interview with CBS News, Bovino defended the use of force at the Broadview facility, accusing protesters of attacking federal agents and calling agents’ actions “exemplary.”

“If someone strays into a pepper ball, then that’s on them,” Bovino said. “Don’t protest and don’t trespass.”

• Maggie Dougherty is a freelance reporter covering the Chicago area.

• Capitol News Illinois reporter Ben Szalinski contributed reporting to this story.

TAGS: Bovino threw tear gas at protestors, Illinois officials want to hold Federal agents accountable, Swapping out Illinois license plates on Illinois registered vehicles is illegal, State officials encouraging reckless behavior should think twice

Opinion |
Declaring war on the American people, a government chomping at the bit

Trump’s war against “the enemy within” is grounded in lies. Meanwhile, military leaders told to "go along or get out".

by Peter Montgomery
OtherWords

A recent gathering at the Pentagon was extraordinary. Not in a good way.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered hundreds of generals and other officers to leave their posts all over the world. He demanded loyalty to the new “culture” he’s imposing on the armed forces. His message: go along or get out.

Hegseth railed against safeguards that protect service members from abuse and hold people accountable for wrongdoing. He mocked “stupid” and “politically correct” rules of engagement. “You kill people and break things for a living,” he said.

“We unleash overwhelming and punishing violence on the enemy,” Hegseth said.

These comments became far more alarming when President Donald Trump took the stage and made it clear who he sees as the enemy. Trump told military leaders that he’s sending them to war against “the enemy within.”

U.S. citizens, immigrants with legal status, and children have been among those detained in increasingly brazen and aggressive encounters...

So the “punishing violence” that Hegseth demands is to be deployed against people here at home. More specifically, Trump said the military should use American cities as “training grounds,” saying, “That’s a war too. It’s a war from within.”

Here’s what that war looked like in Chicago recently: federal agents rappelling from a Black Hawk helicopter onto an apartment building in the middle of the night, border patrol agents breaking into apartments and allegedly zip-tying young children (though DHS denies they were zip-tied), detaining American citizens, and leaving people’s apartments and belongings trashed.

It wasn’t an isolated incident. The Washington Post reported that “U.S. citizens, immigrants with legal status, and children have been among those detained in increasingly brazen and aggressive encounters which pop up daily across neighborhoods in the city of 2.7 million and its many suburbs.”

Trump’s war against “the enemy within” is grounded in lies.

Deployment of the military against American citizens is a frightening abuse of power...

The president and his colleagues have been falsely claiming that Portland, Oregon, is “war-ravaged” and “burning to the ground.” That claim was apparently based on a five-year-old video the president saw on Fox TV. Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden responded by posting a current video of people peacefully enjoying a beautiful fall day in Portland.

The Trump team’s lying would be laughable if it weren’t propaganda with a deadly purpose.

Fortunately, a federal judge — a Trump appointee — blocked Trump’s plans to federalize National Guard troops and send them into Portland, saying there are no conditions on the ground that could justify it. For defending the rule of law, the judge was savagely criticized by the White House.

On top of all of this, Trump has repeatedly violated the foundational military tradition of nonpartisanship. Speaking to cadets at a recent event honoring the Navy’s 250th anniversary, Trump declared, “We have to take care of this little gnat that’s on our shoulder called the Democrats.” As one commenter noted, Trump basically told the Navy to view half of the country as the enemy.

That’s dangerous. And it’s un-American.

People sometimes interpret Trump’s unhinged rhetoric as a strategy to distract people from other stories. It’s worse than that.

I’m sure the president would like people to ignore that he shut down the federal government to preserve tax cuts for the richest 1 percent while forcing millions of families to face huge increases for health insurance or lose their coverage completely.

But Trump’s “enemy within” is more than a distraction. It is even more than a violent threat against millions of our fellow Americans. It’s promotion for a war the president is already waging — one that’s been denounced by retired generals and veterans.

The unjustifiable deployment of the military against American citizens is a frightening abuse of power that should alarm Republicans and independents as well as Democrats. The Constitution can protect all of us only if we defend the Constitution.

Peter Montgomery is a Senior Fellow at People for the American Way. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org.

TAGS: Trump's unhinged rhetoric, foundational military tradition, border patrol agents breaking into apartments, gathering at the Pentagon

Illinois steps up amid federal vaccine guidance uncertainty

The Illinois Department of Public Health recommends COVID-19 shots for all adults this fall. The standing order ensures access through local pharmacies and health care providers.

by Ben Szalinski
Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Public Health has recommended all adults get a COVID-19 shot this fall despite federal guidelines that narrowed the group of people recommended for the shot.

IDPH released a standing order on Tuesdays that recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for all children between six and 23 months; children ages 2 through 17 that have an underlying risk or live in a home with another person who is at high risk for severe complications from COVID-19; any child whose parents want them to get a vaccine; people who are pregnant, planning to be pregnant or postpartum; and all adults.

CVS Covid Vaccination — Signs advertise autumn vaccinations at a pharmacy in Chicago.

The recommendation bucks new and murky guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that recommend vaccines only for people ages 65 and older. A recent CDC advisory panel vote allowed people younger than 65 to receive the vaccine after being informed of the risks and benefits of the shot, backing away from requiring people to get a prescription in order to receive the vaccine.

Illinois’ latest recommendations follow the state’s Immunization Advisory Committee Monday vote on the issue.

“IDPH’s recommendations, made in consultation with our Immunization Advisory Committee, will ensure that residents can protect themselves and their family members this upcoming respiratory season,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a statement. “In addition, the accompanying standing order will allow residents access to COVID-19 vaccine in local pharmacies and other health care settings.”

Gov. JB Pritzker also issued an executive order earlier this month requiring IDPH to issue its own guidelines for vaccines this fall amid uncertainty over what the federal government would recommend.

“At a time when the federal government is abdicating its responsibility to provide clear, science-informed guidance, Illinois is stepping up,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Illinois will continue to empower providers and families across our state with the information and access they need to guard against illness and disease.”

JB Pritzker gets Covid vaccination — Gov. JB Pritzker receives his COVID-19 vaccine in 2022 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

IDPH’s standing order allows health care providers and pharmacies in Illinois to give COVID-19 shots within the department’s guidelines. It also requires federal insurance plans, insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act and state-regulated insurance plans to cover the vaccines.

Insurance companies that are members of America’s Health Insurance Plans, which are most major insurance companies, plan to continue covering the shots, according to the Associated Press.

Other vaccines

The Trump administration has also been unclear about how it will approach future recommendations on other vaccines. A CDC advisory panel last week recommended against administering the combination of measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox vaccines, MMRV, to children under 4 years old.

IDPH is recommending children and adults follow the CDC’s prior guidelines that recommend the MMRV.

IDPH is also recommending everyone receive flu shots this fall.

RSV vaccines are also recommended for adults aged 74 years old and older, adults at high risk for severe illness who are over 50, people who are between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy and children between eight and 19 months who are at a high risk of severe illness.

TAGGED: Illinois COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, IDPH fall vaccine guidelines, COVID-19 vaccine for all adults, JB Pritzker executive order, RSV and flu vaccine guidance

Conservative policy leader Dabrowski announces Illinois governor run with $1.2M raised

With strong early financial support, Ted Dabrowski announced his bid for Illinois governor in the 2026 Republican primary. His campaign focuses on conservative reform and moral clarity, setting him up as the GOP fundraising frontrunner.

by Ben Szalinski
Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - Ted Dabrowski, the leader of a conservative research publication, officially announced Friday he will run for Illinois governor in the 2026 Republican primary.

Dabrowski’s Wirepoints.org publishes research and commentary on state policy issues and advocates for conservative solutions on pensions, taxes, governance and other public policy issues. Before joining Wirepoints in 2017, Dabrowski was vice president of policy for the conservative Illinois Policy Institute think tank after spending nearly 20 years in banking.

“I am not from the political system,” Dabrowski said from his Wilmette home. “I know the system; I know the players. I know how the sausage is made and why it tastes so bad. And I know that if we don't revitalize the Republican Party with strong executive leadership, we cannot resuscitate the state of Illinois.”

Ted Dabrowski for governor in Illinois — Ted Dabrowski talks to fellow Republicans at a State Central Committee meeting in Springfield on Aug. 14, 2025.

Though Dabrowski has built his reputation in Illinois politics by leaning into analytical, data-driven arguments, he signaled that his message on the campaign trail might be different.

“We will win this race by laying out a competing vision for Illinois, one rooted in conservative reform principles,” Dabrowski said. “And as much as I like charts and graphs, the main feature of my candidacy will be the moral clarity on those matters which impact the quality of life for productive Illinoisians who play by the rules.”

Dabrowski announced that his running mate will be Carrie Mendoza, an emergency room doctor from the Chicago area. She previously held a director position at the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism, a group that has opposed lessons on gender in schools. Dabrowski did not take questions from reporters following his announcement.

Fundraising leader

Dabrowski enters the race as the immediate leader in fundraising after first saying last month that he planned to run for governor. Dabrowski has raised $1.2 million, including from his own seed money, in contributions of $1,000 or more.

State Board of Election records show Dabrowski loaned $250,000 to his campaign at the end of August — a move that eliminated fundraising restrictions for all candidates in the race.

Other contributions reported to the State Board of Elections over the last month show he has received several other large contributions of $100,000 or more from various people in finance and philanthropy in the Chicago area.

two candidates in the race have also not reported substantial fundraising.

The stiffest competition for Dabrowski and other Republican candidates for governor — former state Sen. Darren Bailey — is likely to officially enter the race in the coming days. Bailey was the party’s 2022 nominee for governor, and sources confirmed he’s planning a second run to try to beat Gov. JB Pritzker. He received 57% of the vote in the 2022 primary.

It’s still unclear who Bailey’s financial backers will be as he has not been actively fundraising for state office. He had just $2,800 in his campaign fund as of June 30. Lake Forest billionaire Dick Uihlein was his primary funding source in 2022.

“I'm very aware of the skepticism about the Republican Party's prospects and Illinois' future, but we have a strong team, and we are and will be well-funded,” Dabrowski said. “Illinoisans have Pritzker fatigue, and they're looking for a credible alternative.”

The other two candidates in the race have also not reported substantial fundraising. DuPage County Sheriff Jim Mendrick’s financial records show he had $100,588 on hand at the end of June and has reported $11,000 in contributions of $1,000 or more since then. Joe Severino, a Lake Forest resident who is also running for governor, has not reported any contributions to the State Board of Elections.

One of Dabrowski’s earliest supporters is Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, who is chair of his campaign.

“He has spent 15 years researching, digging and offering solutions, highlighting the failings,” Plummer said “A lot of people in the state may not know the name Ted Dabrowski yet, but I assure you they know his work. He has shed light on so many of our problems.”

If first you don't succeed ... Darren Bailey plans second run for Illinois governor in 2026

Bailey, who lost to JB Pritzker in 2022, re-enters the governor’s race with new campaign strategy.

by Ben Szalinski
Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - Darren Bailey plans to run for governor for a second time in 2026, Capitol News Illinois confirmed with sources close to the campaign.

The former state senator and farmer from Clay County would become the highest-profile Republican to enter the race, having lost the 2022 campaign against Gov. JB Pritzker and a close primary race in 2024 against U.S. Rep. Mike Bost for a downstate congressional seat.

Darren Bailey speaks at press conference during his first campaign — State Sen. Darren Bailey appears at a news conference alongside law enforcement officers during his 2022 campaign for governor. Bailey plans a second run for Illinois governor in 2026 with Aaron Del Mar as his running mate.

A formal announcement is expected next week. News of the planned announcement was first reported by NBC Chicago on Monday afternoon.

Bailey rose to statewide notoriety in 2020 as a state lawmaker who opposed mask mandates and other COVID-19 emergency actions early in the pandemic. He capitalized on his opposition to Pritzker-imposed restrictions and ran for governor in 2022.

Bailey plans to enlist Cook County Republican Party Chair Aaron Del Mar as his running mate

Bailey easily won the Republican primary that year with 57 percent of the vote. His campaign was indirectly helped by Pritzker, who ran TV ads during the primary calling Bailey “too conservative” for Illinois, which helped boost his credentials with Republican voters.

But Pritzker handily won a second term with 55 percent of the vote, defeating Bailey by 13 points in a race the Associated Press called just moments after polls closed. Pritzker spent millions on his campaign as Bailey struggled to compete despite receiving financial help from Lake Forest billionaire Dick Uihlein.

Bailey then tried to unseat Bost in 2024 in the 12th Congressional District but came up about 2,700 votes short. While he received President Donald Trump’s endorsement in the governor’s race, Trump endorsed Bost over Bailey in 2024.

New running mate

Bailey plans to enlist Cook County Republican Party Chair Aaron Del Mar as his running mate, a source said.

Del Mar ran for lieutenant governor in 2022 alongside Gary Rabine, receiving 6.5 percent of the vote.

He was elected to lead the Cook County Republican Party earlier this year, marking the second time he has held that role after previously leading the party in the early 2010s. He is also a member of the Illinois GOP’s State Central Committee and serves as Palatine Township’s highway commissioner.

Outside of politics, Del Mar has led a career in business and as an entrepreneur.

Bailey ran in 2022 with Stephanie Trussell, a conservative radio host from the suburbs.

Bailey’s message

It is unclear how Bailey plans to overcome his 2022 loss and what message he will take to voters in 2026.

He focused much of his 2022 campaign on crime and public safety, criticizing the SAFE-T Act and bashing Chicago as a “hellhole.”

The message failed to gain traction with voters, however, as Democrats focused heavily on abortion rights in the months after Roe v. Wade was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Facebook has been Bailey’s primary communication platform to voters, and in recent weeks, he has focused many of his posts on Pritzker and ways he believes the governor has failed Illinois. Like other Republicans, Bailey has criticized Pritzker’s growing national profile.

“In 2026, we have the chance to stop him,” Bailey wrote in a post Monday. “But it will take ALL of us. Every Illinoisan who knows we deserve better. Together, we can end JB’s presidential ambitions before they even begin and finally turn Illinois around.”

Darren Bailey at the 2023 Illinois State Fair — Former state senator and unsuccessful candidate for governor and later Congress Darren Bailey is pictured at the 2023 Illinois State Fair during his unsuccessful congressional campaign.

Bailey would become at least the fourth candidate to enter the Republican primary for governor, which has been slowly taking shape this fall.

DuPage County Sheriff Jim Mendrick, Lake Forest resident Joe Severino, and conservative media writer Ted Dabrowski have also formed committees to run for governor.

Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner released a statement Sunday saying he was also considering running.

Pritzker is running for a rare third term as governor amid speculation he will also run for president in 2028.

Candidates must turn their petitions in to the State Board of Elections by the end of October.

Group urges passage of child care bill to help Illinois families

Illinois advocates urge Congress to pass the Child Care for Working Families Act to lower child care costs.

by Mark Richardson
Public News Service

CHICAGO - Advocates for working families are asking Congress to pass a bill to lower the cost of child care in Illinois and across the U.S.

The Child Care for Working Families Act is stalled in the Republican-controlled Congress. The measure would increase federal funding so child care would cost no more than 7% of a family's annual income. The median family income in Illinois is about $80,000 a year.

Amber Knight, board president of the Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children, said currently, most families are priced out of the child care market.

"This act is going to help working families," Knight asserted. "It's going to provide security and being able to have children attend early-childhood education settings without having the burden be solely placed on families."

Early childhood education is so beneficial to the children and families

The bill would fund grants to open new child care centers and guarantee higher wages for providers, in order to stabilize and grow the workforce. The two biggest programs in the bill, Child Care and Development Fund and Head Start, would receive about $12 billion each. Most House and Senate Democrats are backing the bill, while Republicans oppose it because of its cost.

Knight noted many Illinois families, especially those in rural areas, live in so-called "child care deserts," where the supply is insufficient to meet the need. She stressed it forces working families to make hard social and financial decisions.

"People are able to go to work if their child is being taken care of and also be able to take care of their family by not putting their whole paycheck to child care," Knight explained.

She pointed out studies show children who get an early start on education perform better during their entire time is school and are more successful later in life.

"Early childhood education is so beneficial to the children and families and being able to give them the access in any way we can," Knight added. "Helping the families or helping the centers will really benefit our future."

Tags: Illinois child care costs, Child Care for Working Families Act 2025, early childhood education funding, child care deserts in Illinois, Head Start and Child Care Development Fund expansion

Letter to the Editor |
Don't Increase Hunger

Dear Editor,

The new administration has now cut billions of dollars from food stamps (SNAP) in the budget. This is cruel. This will take food away from the hungry, including children and senior citizens. We have a government out to starve its own people, take medical care away from the sick and perpetrate other evils. They must be stopped.

According to our state legislators, Illinois cannot possibly make up for the billions taken away. Non-profit food pantries will be stretched to their limits.

In 2023, 13.8 million children lived in households that experienced food insecurity, up 3.2 percent from 2022, according to the Food Research and Action Center (frac.org). Taking billions out of food assistance will worsen these already intolerable numbers.

Where will these people go? Possibly many will go begging on the streets or turn to worse to support their families. This in a country that used to claim to be generous and compassionate.

Why are they doing this? Because they believe that most (maybe all) the recipients are scamming the system. Even if true, their sledge hammer approach affects everyone indiscriminately. Instead investigate what the real situation is. Improve the vetting process. Don't hurt the needy.

They should visit soup kitchens such as the one where I volunteered and note the number of people for whom the meal we served was the only meal they had that day.

We must stop this outrage to humanity. If you have any compassion, please, please contact your congressman as soon as possible and demand that he/she work to roll back these cruel, un-American cuts.

Anthony Buttitta
Des Plaines

Anthony Buttitta is a 21-year resident from Des Plaines. He enjoys the sense of community that comes from being close to people and supporting local, independent businesses. Success comes from maintaining a positive, confident attitude and trusting in God.

Got something you want to get off your chest? Send us your letter to the editor today. How to submit your letter to the editor.

Pritzker, Durbin push back against Trump threat to deploy troops in Chicago

Chicago officials warn against federal troop deployment, highlight crime trends, and promise legal challenges to Trump's plan.

Gov. JB Pritzker criticizes the Trump administration

Photo: CNI/Andrew Adams

With Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson standing behind him, Gov. JB Pritzker criticizes the Trump administration’s threat to deploy military forces in Chicago alongside dozens of activists, Democratic politicians and religious leaders in downtown Chicago on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025.

by Ben Szalinski
Capitol News Illinois

CHICAGO - In front of gleaming skyscrapers along the Chicago River, Illinois’ Democratic leaders showed a united front Monday against President Donald Trump’s threats to deploy the military into Chicago’s streets to fight crime with one message: “Mr. President, do not come to Chicago.”

“You are neither wanted here nor needed here,” Gov. JB Pritzker said at a news conference. “Your remarks about this effort over the last several weeks have betrayed a continuing slip in your mental faculties and are not fit for the auspicious office that you occupy.”

The Washington Post reported Saturday that the Pentagon has been considering for weeks deploying the military to Chicago. The report came a day after Trump suggested Chicago will be the next city he sends the military to after he activated the National Guard and other federal law enforcement personnel in Washington, D.C., earlier this month.

Thousands of troops could be deployed in Chicago as soon as September, though two officials who spoke to the Post anonymously said the deployment is considered less likely for now.

State leaders said they have not asked for help.

“When I have some slob like Pritzker criticizing us before we even go there — I made the statement that next should be Chicago because Chicago is a killing field right now and they don’t acknowledge it and they say ‘we don’t need them, freedom, freedom, freedom, he’s a dictator. He’s a dictator.’ A lot of people are saying maybe we’d like a dictator,” Trump said Monday. “I don’t like a dictator. I’m not a dictator. I’m a man with great common sense and a smart person.”

The state’s leaders said they have not been contacted by the Trump administration asking whether the state wants policing help, and state leaders said they have not asked for help.

“If this were happening in any other country, we would have no trouble calling it what it is — a dangerous power grab,” Pritzker said.

The state's top Democrats said Trump is targeting Illinois for political reasons.

“This is an act of political theater by Donald Trump, and sadly, we have to take it extremely seriously,” said U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. “My friends, don't walk away and say this is just another political issue. This is how democracies die.”

Anticipating Chicagoans will take to the streets to protest if the military arrives, Pritzker encouraged protestors to be peaceful.

“Remember that the members of the military and the National Guard who will be asked to walk these streets are, for the most part, here unwillingly, and remember that they can be court martialed, and their lives ruined if they resist deployment,” Pritzker said.

Legal Questions

Trump’s move faces significant legal questions, and Illinois leaders promised to file lawsuits to block the mobilization of the military.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, who has led more than three dozen lawsuits against President Donald Trump’s administration, criticizes the president’s threats to deploy military forces in Chicago on Aug. 25, 2025.

The president and Congress have more powers over Washington, D.C., because of its status as a federal district and not a state, but it’s unclear what legal authority the president is considering applying to send troops to Chicago.

The National Guard is under the control of the governor, though the president has the power to federalize it to quell a rebellion or “unable with the regular forces” to enforce laws. The president can also invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops to serve as law enforcement.

This is exactly the type of overreach that our country's founders warned against...

Those criteria haven’t been met, Attorney General Kwame Raoul said.

Trump’s decision earlier this year to deploy the California National Guard to Los Angeles was challenged and has so far been upheld by a federal appeals court. California argued in that case that the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits the military from acting as a domestic police force. The National Guard was sent to L.A. following protests over Trump’s immigration policies.

“This is exactly the type of overreach that our country's founders warned against and it's the reason that they established a federal system with a separation of powers built on checks and balances,” Pritzker said. “What President Trump is doing is unprecedented and unwarranted. It is illegal, it is unconstitutional, it is unamerican.”

Raoul noted his office has long had effective crime-fighting partnerships with federal agencies.

“I'm not and have never been opposed to collaborative help from well-trained federal law enforcement agents. Were the president serious about addressing crime or criminal threats in Chicago, he would dedicate more resources to collaborative work that we already engage in with these federal agencies,” Raoul said.

Chicago Crime Trends

Overall crime in Chicago has declined by 13% this year, according to data from the Chicago Police Department. Nearly every category of crime has decreased this year, including murders — down 31%. Chicago has seen 256 murders through Aug. 17 this year, compared to 370 over the same timeframe in 2024. Shooting incidents broadly are down 36%.

Crime in Chicago has trended downward since 2023 and is down 15% overall since then. Incidents of crime are still 40% higher at this point of 2025 than in 2021, though murder is down 50% since 2021 and shooting incidents are down 57%. Felony theft, misdemeanor theft and motor vehicle theft are all up significantly since 2021.

The city’s data portal shows crime has generally been trending down throughout the 21st century from nearly half a million crimes in 2001 to about that level in 2024. The number of annual crimes in the city has been relatively flat for about 10 years, however.

Nationally, Chicago ranked 92nd in violent crime per 100,000 people in 2024 among the nation’s 200 largest cities, according to FBI data. Memphis ranked first and Milwaukee and St. Louis were eighth and ninth, respectively, while Rockford ranked 19th. Chicago had the 22nd highest murder rate and was eighth in robbery.

“I know (Trump) doesn't read, I know he doesn't listen to very many people, but I know he watches television, and so perhaps if somebody from FOX News or from Newsmax is here, they'll cover the fact that Chicago is in much better shape as a result of the work that we are doing to prevent crime,” Pritzker said.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson acknowledged the city must do more to reduce violence and said the Trump administration should release $800 million in violence prevention funding it has withheld this year and provide more funding for housing.

Also on Monday, Trump signed an executive order seeking to block federal funding to states and cities with cashless bail policies. Illinois eliminated cash bail in 2023 and Trump claimed jurisdictions with it have higher levels of crime. Early research of the first year without cash bail in Illinois did not show an increase in crime.

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