Your Daily Guide

Illinois’ Privacy Law Could Kill AI Data Centers

Will Illinois lawmakers weaken the state’s tough biometric privacy laws to court AI data centers? Why is the county’s top prosecutor beefing with the mayor? What are the Bulls plans after overhauling their roster? We explore these questions — and more — on today’s podcast. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

• Read more: Data centers are sparking public pushback across Illinois. [Tribune 🔒]

Trump Cuts Threaten Progress on West Side

Gun violence in the city is way down, largely due to violence prevention efforts in North Lawndale and South Lawndale. This work includes conflict resolution, health services, and job and education programs. But President Donald Trump slashed federal violence prevention funds nearly in half, cutting $160 million from the budget. [Block Club]

• Violence prevention works in Chicago: Here’s how. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

140 Asian Immigrants Arrested in Illinois

More than 140 Asians in Illinois have been arrested on immigration charges since Trump took office again — that makes up about 4% of immigration arrests statewide. Most are from India, China and Kyrgyzstan. However, these cases have received little media attention in part because families stayed quiet. [Sun-Times]

Chicago Conductor Appeared in Bad Bunny Performance

Chicago was indeed represented on the Super Bowl halftime stage Sunday night. Giancarlo Guerrero, principal conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival, led 30 string musicians in the Bad Bunny song “Monaco” — and he had just nine days to prepare. [WBEZ]

In late January, Mayor Brandon Johnson put “ICE On Notice” with an eponymous executive order. It directs the Chicago Police Department to investigate federal immigration agents accused of breaking local laws and refer them for prosecution. Now, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke is pushing back on the move.

• Some background: Throughout “Operation Midway Blitz,” ICE and Customs and Border Patrol agents wielded riot weapons against the public. A federal judge eventually limited their use of weapons, but incidents continued. [City Cast Chicago]
• What’s in the text? Johnson’s executive order directs Chicago police to “investigate and document” these alleged crimes and outlines a framework to do so, which includes referring those accused for prosecution. It comes ahead of a potential immigration enforcement surge this spring. [Block Club]
• One major change: The order instructs CPD to refer felony matters to the Cook County State’s Attorney “at the direction of the Mayor’s office.” The mayor’s office is not typically involved in approving felony charges. [Tribune 🔒]
• Right away: Cook County’s top prosecutor O’Neill Burke rebuked Johnson’s claim that her office was in complete support of “ICE On Notice.” She said her team had not had the chance to review it. [X]
• A week later: O’Neill Burke’s office circulated a memo that said “ICE On Notice” would politicize investigations thereby compromising potential prosecutions. O’Neill Burke called the order “wholly inappropriate.” [Tribune 🔒]
• Worth noting: Chicago and Franklin Park police do not appear to have investigated the shootings of Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez and Marimar Martinez at the hands of federal agents, and O’Neill Burke took no additional action. The Fraternal Order of Police also sided against Johnson’s order. [WTTW]