Welcome to Newswire — your weekly guide to Chicago government, civic action and what action we can take to make our city great, featuring public meeting coverage by City Bureau’s Documenters.

Quote of the Week

“CPD stood by and, according to eyewitnesses, set up a perimeter. That raises serious questions: Why were they there? Who or what were they protecting? And more importantly, did their actions violate the Illinois Trust Act and Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance?”

— Nina Sedeño of Latino Policy Forum calling on a City Council committee to pass an order requiring multiple city agencies to report all data and communications related to local police presence during a June 4 federal immigration raid.

[City Council Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights, July 1, 2025]

Not so welcoming

Community members and alders called for a full investigation into whether the Chicago Police Department violated the city’s Welcoming City Ordinance during a South Loop raid June 4. 

Multiple community members reported receiving text messages saying they were due for a check-in with the federal Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, an ICE program which monitors noncitizens who had previously been detained but were released as they await removal or immigration proceedings. Upon arrival, federal agents began to carry out a raid, detaining at least 10 people, Block Club reported.

Organizers raised concerns that Chicago police officers could have violated local sanctuary city protections by setting up a perimeter around the building. 

 Under the city’s Welcoming City Ordinance, which was modified in 2021, Chicago Police cannot set up a traffic perimeter or help federal immigration agents carry out an enforcement operation. The Illinois TRUST Act of 2017 also blocks local police from assisting in immigration enforcement. 

Police officials denied working with federal authorities. A spokesperson said officers were at the facility for “public safety reasons” and did not arrest anyone. 

The committee passed Or2025-0017810, which, if passed by City Council, will require CPD, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, and the Mayor’s Office to release all communications and records related to the June 4 operation.

What you can do:

Attend an ICE watch training: Follow Pilsen Unidos por Nuestro Orgullo and sign up for any upcoming ICE watch trainings. Learn how to identify and document ICE activity to help protect community members.

And for our next demolition …

City officials are gearing up to start tearing down the Damen Silos in McKinley Park, drawing stiff opposition from neighbors who made another push to stop the demolition. The Chicago Department of Public Health held a public hearing on the demolition in late June to inform the community about the process.

City officials have not committed to publicly sharing data from air monitoring stations set up to measure pollution levels every 15 minutes. Asked about that, CDPH Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo Ige had no clear response, noting it would be tricky since the air monitoring is done by a third-party contractor. Ige also said city officials would be on site to stop demolition at any time. 

The demolition of the Damen Silos will not involve any implosion or explosives. Following the botched 2020 Crawford coal plant demolition in nearby Little Village, the city placed a moratorium on using explosives to demolish buildings.

In 2022, the state sold the Damen Silos to Michael Tadin Jr., a city contractor and co-owner of MAT Asphalt, a decision which has been followed by years of community dissent. Tadin was not present at the public meeting and his attorney, Mara Georges said he has yet to announce future plans for the site. 

Some have pushed for the site to be transformed into a festival grounds and public park in which the silos are historically preserved. A petition supporting that plan has amassed nearly 900 signatures as of late June, according to the McKinley Park Development Council, which has repeatedly advocated for community-driven zoning and development.

“We're here because there's no trust, and unfortunately, again, the person that we don't trust isn't here to hear that,” Kate Eakin, managing director of the community group, said during public comment. 

“And so I want to point out that we are also bringing an alternative plan. We have 738 signatures on a petition for the city to entertain a sale to someone who cares,” Eakin continued. “That is the outcome for the site that's best for the neighborhood, a sale to someone who cares, who will use this site for the benefit of our community.”

The city issued the demolition permits last week.

What you can do:

Catch up on the headlines:

  • Damen Silos to be demolished after city approves permits, ending preservation battle | Block Club Chicago

  • A crash course in community-driven zoning and development | Newswire

  • The story of the silos, as told through explosions | North by Northwestern

Learn about MPDC’s Damen Silos campaign:

A version of this story was first published in the July 9, 2025 issue of the Newswire, an email newsletter that is your weekly guide to Chicago government, civic action and what we can do to make our city great. You can sign up for the weekly newsletter here.

Have thoughts on what you'd like to see in this feature? Email Civic Editor Dawn Rhodes at dawn@citybureau.org.