@minabloom.bsky.social
As thorough an attempt as I've seen to account for the US Customs & Border Protection personnel who operated for a little over two months here. #chicago
Who Were The Midway Blitz Border Patrol Agents? Most Were Veteran Immigration Officers
Though the federal agents often wore masks concealing their identities, Block Club Chicago identified 271 of them. Many were trained specifically for crowd control, yet reported using force more than ...
blockclubchicago.org
Wanna see a simple example of why framing matters in journalism? CJR interviews Melody Mercado, staff writer for Block Club Chicago, which divides things differently. "Instead of traditional beats like business, politics, food, all the reporters have neighborhoods." www.cjr.org/kicker/why-d...
Many agents had specialized training, which experts say was part of the problem this fall. "All of the training is more about high risk, going after people that are armed. So using them for public-order policing is not a particularly good fit." blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/30/w...
Who Were The Midway Blitz Border Patrol Agents? Most Were Veteran Immigration Officers
Though the federal agents often wore masks concealing their identities, Block Club Chicago identified 271 of them. Many were trained specifically for crowd control, yet reported using force more than ...
blockclubchicago.org
"They averaged more than a decade on the job, and about two-thirds of them had some form of special training. More than 100 had “Mobile Field Force” training, which includes deescalating civil unrest and crowd control." @cplhouse.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/30/w...
Who Were The Midway Blitz Border Patrol Agents? Most Were Veteran Immigration Officers
Though the federal agents often wore masks concealing their identities, Block Club Chicago identified 271 of them. Many were trained specifically for crowd control, yet reported using force more than ...
blockclubchicago.org
The hearing push is a direct response to Block Club’s investigation published in June that revealed failures by the Chicago Police Department’s Office of Victim Services. @blockclubchi.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/30/a...
Alderpeople Call For Hearing On Domestic Violence Program After Block Club Investigation
Even after a $4 million boost, the Police Department program has struggled, Block Club found. Now alderpeople led by Nicole Lee want police leaders to answer questions.
blockclubchicago.org
Chicago's 2008 parking meter privatization deal is one of the worst municipal deals in history. 17 years later, a new meter deal is in the works and alders are under pressure to approve it — but no one knows anything about it. @blockclubchi.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/24/w...
Why Is Mayor Johnson Keeping Secrets About The Parking Meter Deal?
Seventeen years after Daley's disastrous parking meter deal, a new meter sale is in the works. But Mayor Brandon Johnson says the city signed a confidentiality agreement, though he won’t share that ei...
blockclubchicago.org
The city’s recent crackdown on unlicensed vendors comes as immigration authorities continue to target local courthouses to arrest immigrants who show up to court. blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/18/i... 📝 @minabloom.bsky.social @franciagarciah.bsky.social
Street Vendor Ticketed By Police, Then Detained By ICE: 'We Don't Know Who We Can Trust'
Chicago police ticketed an immigrant street vendor — and ICE agents then swooped in to arrest her and her nephew when she had to make a court appearance.
blockclubchicago.org
An immigrant street vendor ticketed by Chicago police last month was detained by federal immigration officials this week while leaving the courthouse, @franciagarciah.bsky.social and @minabloom.bsky.social report blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/18/i...
Street Vendor Ticketed By Police, Then Detained By ICE: 'We Don't Know Who We Can Trust'
Chicago police ticketed an immigrant street vendor — and ICE agents then swooped in to arrest her and her nephew when she had to make a court appearance.
blockclubchicago.org
The arrests raise fresh concerns about the city’s potential collaboration with federal agents. My latest with the brilliant @franciagarciah.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/18/i...
Street Vendor Ticketed By Police, Then Detained By ICE: 'We Don't Know Who We Can Trust'
Chicago police ticketed an immigrant street vendor — and ICE agents then swooped in to arrest her and her nephew when she had to make a court appearance.
blockclubchicago.org
Block Club reached out to all 56 community service providers on the program’s list and interviewed leaders of more than 40 of them. Only four organizations said they received any referrals. Most had no contact with CPD victim specialists. Some groups didn’t even know the police program existed.
The City Spent Millions On A Flailing Domestic Violence Program No One Asked For, Advocates Say
The Police Department’s victim services office has produced few documented results despite a surge in domestic violence cases. Survivors and advocates are furious the money wasn’t used on much-needed ...
blockclubchicago.org
One of the program's goals is to steer survivors to community services, but only 4 organizations said they received any referrals. Almost all of the others said they had no experience working with CPD's victim specialists last year. blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/10/t... ✍️ @minabloom.bsky.social
The City Spent Millions On A Flailing Domestic Violence Program No One Asked For, Advocates Say
The Police Department’s victim services office has produced few documented results despite a surge in domestic violence cases. Survivors and advocates are furious the money wasn’t used on much-needed ...
blockclubchicago.org
Survivors begged Chicago for help to address a deadly surge in domestic violence. The city's answer was to give millions to a police program that no one asked for and that so far hasn't done anything. @minabloom.bsky.social reports. @blockclubchi.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/10/t...
The City Spent Millions On A Flailing Domestic Violence Program No One Asked For, Advocates Say
The police department’s victim services office has produced few documented results despite a surge in domestic violence cases. Survivors and advocates are furious the money wasn’t used on much-needed ...
blockclubchicago.org
My latest for @blockclubchi.bsky.social is a look at a new police program aimed at helping domestic violence survivors. Advocates argue the program is a gross misallocation of taxpayer dollars. And we found little evidence it has been effective. blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/10/t...
The City Spent Millions On A Flailing Domestic Violence Program No One Asked For, Advocates Say
The police department’s victim services office has produced few documented results despite a surge in domestic violence cases. Survivors and advocates are furious the money wasn’t used on much-needed ...
blockclubchicago.org
Broadview protesters still facing charges are urging prosecutors to drop their cases. “The state is wasting its own scarce resources ... and I am wasting hours of an attorney who could be working to support people who are detained." @blockclubchi.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/02/s...
State's Attorney's Refusal To Drop Charges Against Nonviolent ICE Protesters A 'Waste' Of Resources, Some Say
Over the past month, prosecutors have dropped charges against the majority of protesters arrested by local police outside the federal facility in Broadview. But 20 cases are still pending — and those ...
blockclubchicago.org
The school has received praise from the Trump admin, and the founder "has donated more than $2 million since 2023 to Republican candidates and political action committees that support it," @themelodymercado.bsky.social reports blockclubchicago.org/2026/03/25/a...
An AI School, With No Teachers, To Open in Chicago This Fall
Alpha School, a pricey private school with campuses nationwide, uses artificial intelligence to instruct students. AI schools have been praised by the Trump administration, but researchers say there's...
blockclubchicago.org
ICE agents shot & killed Silverio Villegas Gonzalez after he dropped his kids off at school in September. Minn officials launched investigations into Pretti & Good's killings. Cook County has not done the same for Villegas Gonzalez. blockclubchicago.org/2026/03/23/i... ✍️ @mollydevore.bsky.social
ICE Killed A Man Outside Chicago Last Year. Little Has Been Done To Investigate
Neither the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office nor Franklin Park police chose to launch probes into the death of Silverio Villegas González. That’s in stark contrast to Minneapolis, where local off...
blockclubchicago.org
I wrote about an increase in domestic homicides in Chicago for @blockclubchi.bsky.social earlier this year. Today the Mayor’s Office, CPD and community orgs are all meeting to discuss how to combat the surge.
UPDATE: Cook County prosecutors dismissed 21 of the roughly 100 cases against ICE protesters Wednesday. About 80 cases are still being prosecuted, mostly as misdemeanors. Last week, @minabloom.bsky.social reported on the cases still open: blockclubchi.co/3ZXJS6K
Why Is The Cook County State's Attorney Prosecuting Nonviolent ICE Protesters?
A Block Club investigation found dozens of protesters arrested by state police are still facing criminal charges for minor infractions, such as sitting on a concrete barrier — even after Gov. JB…
blockclubchi.co
On tomorrow's Say More, @maryldixon.bsky.social and I talk with sociologist Robert Sampson about his new book Marked by Time. A study of Chicagoans found the year you were born dramatically shapes your life trajectory. How did WHEN and WHERE you were born shape your life? Tuesday at 10 on @wbez.org
Read of the day: local law enforcement arrested dozens of nonviolent protestors at Broadview over minor offenses, including jaywalking. Why is the state's attorney prosecuting them? by @minabloom.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/26/w...
Why Is The Cook County State's Attorney Prosecuting Nonviolent ICE Protesters?
A Block Club investigation found dozens of protesters arrested by state police are still facing criminal charges for minor infractions, such as sitting on a concrete barrier — even after Gov. JB Pritz...
blockclubchicago.org
Great work by @minabloom.bsky.social Watching my peaceful colleagues bloodied, brutalized and violently arrested by the Illinois State Police left me so traumatized I had an acute trauma response in early January. The psychological distress is real. Pritzker and Burke have failed us.
Patrick Smith@pksmid.bsky.social · 5mo ago🚨new @minabloom.bsky.social story looking at all the low level cases against peaceful anti-ICE protesters still being pursued by the Cook County State’s Attorney🚨 blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/26/w...
🚨new @minabloom.bsky.social story looking at all the low level cases against peaceful anti-ICE protesters still being pursued by the Cook County State’s Attorney🚨 blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/26/w...
Why Is The Cook County State's Attorney Prosecuting Nonviolent ICE Protesters?
A Block Club investigation found dozens of protesters arrested by state police are still facing criminal charges for minor infractions, such as sitting on a concrete barrier — even after Gov. JB Pritz...
blockclubchicago.org
They're charged w/ misdemeanors for things like sitting on concrete barriers. One w/ a felony for allegedly fingerpainting on a barrier. The feds have dropped similar cases; the Cook County State's Attorney is prosecuting nearly all. 📝 @minabloom.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/26/w...
Why Is The Cook County State's Attorney Prosecuting Nonviolent ICE Protesters?
A Block Club investigation found dozens of protesters arrested by state police are still facing criminal charges for minor infractions, such as sitting on a concrete barrier — even after Gov. JB Pritz...
blockclubchicago.org
Dozens of protesters arrested by state police are still facing criminal charges for minor infractions — even after Gov. Pritzker vowed to protect their First Amendment rights. My latest investigation for @blockclubchi.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/26/w...
Why Is The Cook County State's Attorney Prosecuting Nonviolent ICE Protesters?
A Block Club investigation found dozens of protesters arrested by state police are still facing criminal charges for minor infractions, such as sitting on a concrete barrier — even after Gov JB Pritzk...
blockclubchicago.org
This is interesting, to say the least.
@minabloom.bsky.social · 6mo agoMayor Johnson said: "We took her to court and we won back millions of dollars for taxpayers and more than 800 lots across the South and West Sides of the city of Chicago.” But he got the facts wrong. My latest w/ @ctoner.bsky.social @blockclubchi.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/04/c...
The city is suing for millions in damages after the woman dubbed Chicago’s "worst landowner" had her property auction fail. blockclubchi.co/4rvPoJo
Mayor Johnson said: "We took her to court and we won back millions of dollars for taxpayers and more than 800 lots across the South and West Sides of the city of Chicago.” But he got the facts wrong. My latest w/ @ctoner.bsky.social @blockclubchi.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/04/c...
City Sues For Millions In Damages After ‘Worst Landowner’ Property Auction Fails
It’s the latest controversy surrounding land owned by Suzie B. Wilson and her sister Swedlana Dass, who have been caught in a legal web since a 2023 investigation by Illinois Answers Project and Block...
blockclubchicago.org
Great follow-up investigative reporting by @ctoner.bsky.social and @minabloom.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/04/c...
City Sues For Millions In Damages After ‘Worst Landowner’ Property Auction Fails
It’s the latest controversy surrounding land owned by Suzie B. Wilson and her sister Swedlana Dass, who have been caught in a legal web since a 2023 investigation by Illinois Answers Project and Block...
blockclubchicago.org
The rise in DV homicides led one legal aid org to offer guardianship & POA services “No one wants to think about the fact that your abuser might murder you, but it is a real truth, & you can be prepared for it" My latest for @blockclubchi.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2026/01/13/c...
Chicago’s Domestic Homicides Surged Last Year Even As Overall Violent Crime Dropped
Martina Mosby was the first of at least 63 people killed in domestic homicides in 2025. Experts say the increase is in part due to federal funding cuts to victim services programs.
blockclubchicago.org
