Why Cook County Is Prosecuting ICE Protesters While The Feds Drop Cases episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 27, 2026 · 18 MIN

Why Cook County Is Prosecuting ICE Protesters While The Feds Drop Cases

from The Block Club Chicago Podcast · host Jon Hansen, Mina Bloom, Block Club Chicago

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 Pritzker vowed to protect their First Amendment rights. Host - Jon Hansen Reporter - Mina Bloom Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to be covered in a meaningful way.We amplify positive stories, cover development and local school council meetings and serve as watchdogs in neighborhoods often ostracized by traditional news media.Ground-level coverageOur neighborhood-based reporters don't parachute in once to cover a story. They are in the neighborhoods they cover every day building relationships over time with neighbors. We believe this  ground-level approach not only builds community but leads to a more accurate portrayal of a  neighborhood.Stories that matter to you — every daySince our launch seven years ago, we've published more than 30,000 stories from the neighborhoods, covered hundreds of community meetings and send daily and neighborhood newsletters to more than 150,000 Chicagoans. We've built this loyalty by proving to folks we are not only covering their neighborhoods, we are a part of them. Some of us have internalized the national media's narrative of a broken Chicago. We aim to change that by celebrating our neighborhoods and chronicling the resilience of the people who fight every day to make Chicago a better place for all.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 27, 2026

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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 Pritzker vowed to protect their First Amendment rights.

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Why Cook County Is Prosecuting ICE Protesters While The Feds Drop Cases

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