Free Republic

In the sanctuary state of Illinois, where Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has attempted to impede federal immigration enforcement, an illegal alien is accused of killing a Republican elected official and his wife in Coles County. Police say that 34-year-old illegal alien Edwin Pacheco-Meza of Honduras was driving a van on Oct. 24 when he crossed the center lane and struck 71-year-old Michael Clayton and his wife, 66-year-old Gail Clayton — killing them instantly. Michael Clayton was a Republican elected official who served on the Coles County Board. Pacheco-Meza, who crossed the southern border as an unknown got-away, was in his...

An Illinois jury on Wednesday convicted a former sheriff’s deputy of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who called 911 asking for help. Sean Grayson, 31, could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, or probation. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 29. Grayson and another deputy arrived at Massey’s home in Springfield, Illinois, early on the morning of July 6, 2024, after she reported a prowler. Grayson shot the 36-year-old woman after confronting her about how she was handling a pot of hot water she had removed from her stove. Grayson and...

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been pressuring states to redistrict their maps to give the Democrats more seats. Maryland and Illinois won’t comply. Illinois Out of all the states, Jeffries targeted Illinois? Really? The Democrats outnumber the Republicans 14 to 3. The new map would make it 15-2. I guess one is better than nothing for these people. Also, Illinois is beyond corrupt, so it’s probably the party’s best bet. Jeffries met with the representatives “whose districts could be redrawn.” Blacks hold those four districts. Yes, it’s all about race. God forbid we make it about population size. Oh,...

An appeals court has temporarily paused a federal judge's order requiring U.S. Customs and Border Patrol commander-at-large Greg Bovino to appear in court daily and give updates on immigration enforcement activity in Chicago under the Trump administration's "Operation Midway Blitz." The Department of Justice on Wednesday appealed U.S. District Court Judge Sara Ellis' order, which mandated Bovino check in with her at 6 p.m. daily to ensure compliance with a temporary restraining order that restricted federal agents' use of force in crowd-control tactics.

Seven Democrat states have pledged tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds to prop up Planned Parenthood amid federal defunding under Congress and President Donald Trump. The move is drawing sharp condemnation from pro-life advocates who say the states are propping up the nation’s biggest abortion company. The taxpayer-funding commitments from New York, California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts and Hawaii come in response to a one-year moratorium on Medicaid reimbursements for nonprofits that kill babies in abortions, enacted as part of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” signed in July. The law bars such organizations from federal funding if they received...

Among political conservatives, there is no hotter potato at the moment than the civil liability protections afforded by Section 230 to online operators. Unless Republicans learn to love it again and reject the censorship lawfare complex favored by Democrats, they risk dooming our tech leaders and everyone who uses their products to the sharks circling our legal system.The twenty-six words tucked into the Communications Decency Act of 1996 shielded publishers from liability so they could host and moderate content and still allow a wide range of speech without fear of lawsuits. Since then, Section 230 has evolved to be one...

A manager at the Laugh Factory in Chicago was arrested for allegedly obstructing a federal immigration operation — but his mother claimed agents “kidnapped” him before her eyes. A Border Patrol spokesperson told NBC Chicago that Griffin was detained after he “attempted to impede and obstruct federal officers,” and claims he attempted to shut the door of the federal agents’ car on an agent’s leg. “The individual was immediately detained and turned over to the FBI for investigation,” Border Patrol said.

In those neighborhoods, where civil society breaks down, giving way to anarchy and Haitian-style barbarism, civilization is effectively suspended. Across the United States, the trajectory of inner cities has been one of “inexorable decline” — a descent from centers of economic growth, cultural splendor, and communal solidarity into fragmented, dystopian environments marked by neglect and anarchy. Like mirror images of downtown Port-au-Prince, these urban landscapes, far from civic greatness, have become wastelands defined by abandoned structures, pervasive insecurity, and social disintegration (aggravated by the “homelessness crisis”). The emblematic example of Detroit crystallizes the narrative of urban decline — a Democrat-run...

In California, US Rep. Robert Garcia announced that "the House Democrats on the Oversight Committee are establishing a 'Master ICE Tracker' that will help our Antifa street fighters locate where immigrants are being arrested and allow them to intervene and prevent the deportation of the folks invited into our country by former President Biden." Apple and Facebook have removed similar ICE trackers from their platforms lest they be held liable for damages in any violent confrontations enabled by their ICE trackers. Garcia explained his strategy, saying "with the government shutdown there is no money to pay the ICE agents that...

Illinois governor's incitement of violence for illegals' sake is about powerI know a thing or two about being at odds with the political establishment, and I am no stranger to corrupt prosecutors in law enforcement. Yet even in the most contentious days of my governorship and during my darkest days in my fight for justice, I never dreamed I’d see the day when the governor of Illinois would publicly attack our law enforcement officers for doing their jobs to enforce our immigration laws.Nor could I have ever imagined that I would see the day when a governor, elected by...

In a reckless and malicious move that’s drawing fire from conservatives, Illinois State Representative Margaret Croke sent out an email on Friday listing detailed descriptions of vehicles suspected to belong to ICE agents operating in Chicago neighborhoods. The flyer, titled “Updated List of ICE Vehicles Seen Today,” includes make, model, color, and partial license plate info for cars believed to belong to agents working in the area. Croke urged recipients to report suspicious activity to hotlines, claiming that ICE actions are “unlawful and undemocratic” and offering resources to connect illegal aliens with attorneys or social services. Conservatives, including the popular...

Four family members of Illinois gubernatorial hopeful Darren Bailey were killed in a helicopter crash in Montana on Wednesday, according to reports. Bailey’s son, Zachary, his son’s wife Kelsey, and two of their children —Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, 7 — perished when the helicopter went down. The Bailey campaign released the following statement on Thursday morning: On Wednesday evening, Darren and his wife, Cindy, received the heartbreaking news no parent ever wants to hear. Their son, Zachary, his wife, Kelsey, and their two young children, Vada Rose, age 12, and Samuel, age 7, tragically lost their lives in a...

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey (R) lost his son, daughter-in-law and two grandkids in a helicopter crash late Wednesday night, according to his campaign. According to a social media post by the Bailey Campaign on Facebook, the crash happened in Carter County Montana, which is the southeast corner of the state, bordering South Dakota and Wyoming.

A federal judge in Chicago just made a decision that’s raising eyebrows — and not just among immigration officers.In a move that’s already stirring debate nationwide, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings ruled that ICE agents — yes, federal officers — can be arrested if they take migrants into custody at Cook County courthouses without a proper warrant. Let that sink in for a second. (snip) So, who’s actually in charge here — federal law enforcement… or local judges?And if ICE agents can be arrested for doing their jobs, what kind of message does that send to those who aren’t even...

Former President Barack Obama thinks nothing of trying to interfere in the internal politics of democratic U.S. allies in Europe, and in the process, thwarting his country’s own current foreign policy, as determined by his elected successor, President Donald Trump. All in the name of democracy, of course. And he can do all this because he has built a very well-endowed foundation into which billionaires pour funds and which he uses to train future leaders to transform the world along Obama’s vision—pretty much the way he promised to transform the United States, and some say, sadly, he did. The Daily...

As Republicans across the country pursue new congressional maps to boost their party ahead of next year's midterm elections, Democrats are ramping up pressure on states where they can respond. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has held discussions with members of the Maryland delegation and Democratic Gov. Wes Moore in recent weeks about possible mid-decade redistricting efforts, according to a source with knowledge of the conversations. The source also said Jeffries spoke with members of the Illinois delegation about drawing new district lines, as Politico first reported. Maryland has just one Republican, Rep. Andy Harris, in its eight-member House...

CHICAGO (WLS) -- President Donald Trump's immigration operation "Midway Blitz" has been underway for several weeks, and the hospitality industry, especially restaurants in Latino wards, are feeling the impact. Gerardo Auza comes from a family of restaurant owners. The 42-year-old's dream was to open his own business. It came true eight months ago, when Auza opened El Mexico De Chicago in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood. The Mexican immigrant says online reviews have been great, but none of it matters if no one shows up. "For over a month, it takes like 70% to 80%. The customers didn't show up to...

In early September, Kellen McMiller took part in a roundtable discussion with Gov. JB Pritzker at an event for anti-violence workers on the South Side. McMiller, 35, even posed for a photo with the governor in his neon yellow peacekeeper vest. The photo would later appear in a press release touting how violence prevention programs are helping drive down violent crime in Chicago. Just six days later, McMiller was allegedly involved in a smash-and-grab downtown that killed a man on his way to work. McMiller was one of a dozen offenders who authorities say robbed a Louis Vuitton store of...

"This incident is not isolated."Dozens of rioters hurled rocks and formed a mob against federal agents who just faced a ramming attack from an illegal immigrant suspect, according to reports.Border Patrol agents were attempting to detain an illegal immigrant suspect who hit their vehicle and then tried to flee, sparking a car chase, according to WGN9. Demonstrators caught wind of the presence of federal agents and soon gathered, with some throwing rocks and bottles at authorities.Authorities then deployed tear gas to break up the group.“This morning while conducting an immigration enforcement operation in Chicago, a vehicle, driven by an illegal...

Things got heated in Chicago! Grassroots leader Jessica Jackson, an advisor for Chicago Flips Red, took the mic — and didn’t hold back! In a jaw-dropping moment at City Hall, she calls out aldermen accused of corruption, exposes racial slurs, and questions their citizenship status in an explosive public confrontation that left the room shaking. From fake protests to broken promises, Jackson tears into the hypocrisy plaguing Chicago’s leadership while fed-up residents cheer her on. "Chicago Flips Red" members explode on Democrat Alderman during open session at City Hall [video]