Protesters, agents clash at Broadview ICE facility
Good morning, Chicago. ✶
???? Below: Federal immigration authorities fired tear gas and pepper balls at protesters outside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's processing facility in Broadview.
????️ Plus: Hundreds of swimmers took a dip in the Chicago River, what we saw at Riot Fest and more news you need to know.
???? Keeping score: The Bears beat the Cowboys, 31-14; the Cubs fell to the Reds, 1-0; the White Sox lost to the Padres, 3-2.
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⏱️: A 9-minute read
TODAY’S WEATHER ????️
Mostly sunny with a chance of thunderstorms and a high near 80.
TODAY’S TOP STORIES
Protesters clash with agents at Broadview ICE facility as official denies its closure
By Violet Miller, Mary Norkol, Cindy Hernandez, Chip Mitchell and Mohammad Samra
Demonstrations continue: Protests outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in Broadview extended through the weekend, as the Trump administration’s ramped-up campaign against immigration stretched into another week.
Friday confrontations: Skirmishes between protesters and federal agents Friday outside the facility saw an officer shove a congressional candidate to the ground, agents fire tear gas and pepper balls into crowds, and multiple arrests in a tense series of confrontations.
Protesters released: Ten demonstrators arrested in Friday's clash with federal immigration agents had been freed by Saturday, a spokesperson for the National Lawyers Guild said. There was no word on whether any of them had been charged. One protester helped get a detainee freed.
Looking ahead: A U.S. Department of Homeland Security official said the Broadview site wouldn’t be closing after HuffPost reported ICE would vacate the facility due to ongoing protests. It’s unclear whether operations at the building will change or if detainees will be moved.
Naval station protest: Nearly 200 protesters also gathered Saturday by the Naval Station Great Lakes near North Chicago, which is being used as a staging area for federal agents amid the administration's emphasis on immigration arrests and its threats to send the National Guard to Chicago.
More headlines:
- Detained father calls daughters from Broadview ICE facility, says he’s held in room with 150 men
- Chicago students feel fear, frustration amid ICE raids and threats of National Guard deployment
- Suburban parents sound alarm on immigration enforcement around schools
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Hundreds plunge into Chicago River in city’s first open-water swim in nearly a century
Reporting by Casey He
100-year swim: About 300 swimmers plunged into the Chicago River on Sunday morning for the first organized open-water swim in almost a century, as spectators lined the Dearborn Street and Clark Street bridges and the Riverwalk.
Key context: Swimming in the river used to be a key facet of Chicago life, but by the 1920s, sewage and industrial runoff had made it unsafe. Sunday's event organizers said the river is now at its cleanest levels on record.
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Theaster Gates, art world superstar, finally gets solo Chicago museum moment
Reporting by Ben Austen
Art star: Since self-financing his first show at the Hyde Park Art Center in 2007, East Garfield Park native Theaster Gates, 51, has rocketed into an art world superstar, winning numerous awards, selling out gallery shows, and headlining major museum exhibitions in New York and Japan.
'Unto Thee': Gates' new exhibition, running Tuesday through Feb. 22 at Smart Museum on University of Chicago's campus, is his first solo museum show in his hometown. Titled "Unto Thee," the show offers visitors a window into his body of work as a potter, painter, performer and sculptor. It's not a career retrospective, but a chance for people to see the range of his work firsthand.
GAMES AND CROSSWORDS ????
This week's Chicago-style crossword theme is: Theaters.
Here's your clue:
13A: Chicago theater that premiered "August: Osage County"
MORE NEWS YOU NEED
- Edgar remembered: Hundreds celebrated the life and mourned the death of former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar on Saturday at Springfield's Central Baptist Church. Political leaders, friends and relatives remembered the Republican as a "steadfast leader."
- Charlie Kirk House resolution: Seven Illinois Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives voted Friday against a resolution condemning political violence and honoring Kirk’s life — reflecting a divided reaction to the far right activist’s legacy in the aftermath of his murder.
- Shaw attends memorial: Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw missed the team's Sunday game against the Reds for Kirk’s memorial service in Glendale, Arizona.
- CPS stands firm: Chicago Public Schools is swinging back at the U.S. Department of Education’s threat to yank a federal grant unless the district abolishes its Black Student Success Plan and declares it won’t let transgender students compete in sports or use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity.
- Feds threaten CTA: U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday both Chicago and Boston are "on notice" to improve safety for transit riders and employees — or risk federal funding.
- Starbucks workers sue: Workers in three states including Illinois have taken legal action against the coffee giant, saying it violated the law when it changed its dress code this spring but refused to reimburse employees who had to buy new clothes.
- New apartments OKd: The Zoning Board of Appeals paved the way Friday for the development of a nine-story residential building in River North, breathing new life into a parking lot at Huron and Orleans streets.
RIOT FEST RECAP ????
Riot Fest celebrates 20 years with sets from Green Day, Beach Boys, Jack White and more
Reporting by Selena Fragassi and Ambar Colón
Riot Fest celebrated its 20th anniversary this weekend with a brash, in-your-face lineup for thousands of fans in Douglass Park.
On Sunday, Mayor Brandon Johnson proclaimed Sept. 21 as "Riot Fest Day," recognizing founder Mike Petryshyn, aka "Riot Mike," for his efforts and calling him "an institution."
Here's a recap:
Day 1: Blink-182 delivered a headlining set anchored in the past, "Weird Al" Yankovic reigned with hit after hit and Rilo Kiley sparked early-aughts nostalgia.
Day 2: The Beach Boys and John Stamos brought "Good Vibrations," Weezer performed their “Blue Album” in full and Jack White gave an explosive rock ‘n’ roll performance.
Day 3: Green Day took a swipe at the "MAGA agenda" — and bands Dehd, Pegboy and The Effigies highlighted homegrown spirit.
MUST-READ COMMENTARY ????️
Whose bigotry is accepted in America?
By Rummana Hussain
The airbrushing of Charlie Kirk’s legacy has got me thinking about double standards, pondering how differently many Americans would react if someone like Ye aka Kanye West or Louis Farrakhan were shot to death.
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HIV care providers navigate Trump order roadblocks
By Neil Steinberg
Dr. Brandon Hill, CEO of Vivent Health and a researcher in HIV and sexual issues, talks about changes in government funding.
FROM THE PRESS BOX ????⚾????????
- Post-game analysis: Caleb Williams needed the blowout victory against the Cowboys — and so did the Bears, writes Patrick Finley.
- To-do list: What the Cubs need to achieve in the last week of the regular season.
- Hawks prediction: Forward Jason Dickinson believes the Blackhawks are going to "shock some people" this season.
- Sky’s the limit: Was the 2025 Sky season a step forward or back?
- High school football: Brother Rice is up to No. 3. Sandburg and Lincoln-Way West join Michael O'Brien's Super 25 rankings for Week 5.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Birding from the climbing wall at Steelworkers Park
Reporting by Dale Bowman
Edward Warden called out, "Two hummingbirds," as he and Sun-Times outdoors columnist Dale Bowman settled atop the climbing wall at Steelworkers Park.
The pair of birds flitted around goldenrod and brushy growth between the remnant walls of the U.S. Steel South Works.
In his latest column, Bowman shares his experience seeing hummers from 30 feet up, as part of last weekend's Urban Birding Festival.
The birding-climbing idea came from Warden and Chuck Stark, senior program specialist for the Chicago Parks District. Both share a history of bird programming in Calumet area parks. In 2023, Stark mentioned he spotted a bald eagle while atop the wall during a climbing program.
"It was at that moment that the light bulb went off and a few weeks later we piloted our first one," Warden said.
So Bowman gave it a go, as mid-September is early for prime hawk migration.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
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The hot takes covered food, dibs, driving etiquette, Chicago's sports teams and more.
You can listen to the full episode here. ????
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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Eydie Cubarrubia
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