Good morning, Chicago. ✶
🔎 Below: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested at least three people Sunday as the Trump administration warned of more actions.
🗞️ Plus: The first millennial saint is honored in Bucktown, Chaka Khan comes home to Auburn Gresham and more news you need to know.👇
📝 Keeping score: The Cubs fell to the Nationals, 6-3; the White Sox beat the Tigers, 6-4; the Sky lost to the Aces, 80-66; the Stars bested the Pride, 5-2.
🧩 Play along: After you’re caught up, we’ve got a Chicago-style crossword for you to try. This week’s theme: Murals.
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⏱️: A 9-minute read
TODAY’S WEATHER ☀️
Sunny with a high near 73.
TODAY’S TOP STORIES
ICE agents make arrests, Trump official warns of more action while Chicagoans protest and parade
By Kaitlin Washburn, Violet Miller, Mary Norkol, Selena Kuznikov, Kade Heather, Adriana Cardona-Maguigad and Sarah Karp
ICE arrests: As Chicago awaits a surge in activity by the feds, at least three people were arrested Sunday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, said Ald. Jeylú Gutiérrez (14th), whose ward includes parts of Archer Heights, Gage Park and Chicago Lawn.
Key context: Federal agents, including at least some from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, are stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes. Last week, they were practicing crowd control tactics and prepping for patrols in unmarked vehicles. Over the weekend, Chicago residents and officials alike braced for the National Guard and ICE to descend upon the city en masse.
Threats continue: Sunday’s arrests came after yet another Trump administration official said Chicagoans should “expect action” this week as the feds get ready to conduct what could be a large-scale anti-immigration effort. In an appearance on CNN, border czar Tom Homan said as much, but did not provide details.
Call to action: During a news conference in Austin, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Chicago) stopped short of rejecting any federal assistance. Rather than immigration enforcement or military troops, he called for the restoration of federal funding for programs like violence interrupters that are credited with Chicago’s 60-year-low summer homicide count and declining crime rates.
Weekend protest: Thousands of people marched Saturday evening through the Loop to express their opposition to a potential federal presence, stopping briefly in front of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chicago field office, the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, and Trump Tower.
‘Chipocalypse’ post: Saturday’s protest came hours after President Donald Trump threatened Chicago in a post on social media Saturday, saying the city was about to find out “why it’s called the Department of War,” referencing his executive order Friday authorizing the phrase as a secondary title for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Salt truck fact check: Despite social media claims, Chicago’s salt trucks were not strategically blocking federal immigration enforcement activity, the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation told the Sun-Times. The department said it “deployed salt trucks to support public safety efforts related to a planned protest and the Taste of Chicago.”
Parade marches on: Thousands gathered Saturday for Pilsen’s 24th annual Mexican Independence Day parade despite threats of federal agents in Chicago’s streets. The parade precedes the 54th annual 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade in Little Village, which organizers say is still set for Sept. 14.
In-person learning: Chicago Public Schools officials said they do not plan to offer a remote learning option to students — because school is the safest place for students.
Friday sit-in: About 200 demonstrators staged a sit-in, blocking apparent ICE agents from coming in and out of the agency’s Broadview processing center.
GAMES AND CROSSWORDS 🧩
This week’s Chicago-style crossword theme is: Murals.
Here’s your clue:
19D: ___ 4 the City (annual Chicago graffiti competition)
MORE NEWS YOU NEED
- Church’s namesake becomes saint: St. Carlo Acutis Parish, named for the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint, on Sunday hosted a celebration in honor of Acutis’ canonization — part of festivities that will last until the anniversary of his death Oct. 12.
- 6 charged in robbery: Six men face felony charges after they allegedly used hammers to smash display windows at a Michigan Avenue Rolex boutique and steal more than $170,000 worth of watches Friday afternoon, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
- Suspected cartel head indicted: A federal grand jury in Chicago indicted an accused cartel boss on narcoterrorism, drug and firearms charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced Friday.
- Medicaid probe: The Trump administration is launching Medicaid spending probes in at least six Democratic-led states, including Illinois, that provide comprehensive health coverage to poor and disabled immigrants living in the U.S. without permanent legal status.
- Mayor’s pick: Walter Redmond Burnett was selected to take over for his father and lead the 27th Ward as alderperson, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Friday.
- Kennedy construction: The Kennedy Expressway exit to Armitage Avenue and the entrance at North Avenue reopened Sunday as the Illinois Department of Transportation wraps up a multiyear construction project on Interstate 90/94.
- CTA soundoff: The CTA is hosting three town halls this month centered on next year’s budget, as the agency anticipates potential drastic service cuts if lawmakers in Springfield fail to pass a funding bill.
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CHICAGO STORIES 🗞️
What happened to Chinatown’s family associations?
Reporting by Amy Qin and Mendy Kong
Sign up: High above the din of Chinatown’s busy streets are dozens of large signs that are easy to miss. They’re posted on the tiptop of buildings, measure several feet wide, and most are written only in Chinese. The signs belong to Chinese family associations, groups based on a shared last name or ancestral hometown. In its early days, they were the cornerstone of the neighborhood’s civic and social life.
Curious listener: The historical significance and ubiquity of the buildings, scattered across Chicago’s Chinatown and the country, led one WBEZ listener to ask the Curious City show: Are Chinese family associations an important part of life there today?
Deep dive: Finding the answer led the Curious City team through the history of Chinatown. Along the way, WBEZ met many of the people who have had a direct hand in shaping how the neighborhood became what it is and what it might become for generations to come.
Listen up 🎧: You can listen to WBEZ’s journey to answering this question here. Scroll down for an extra video.
WATCH: WHAT HAPPENED TO CHINATOWN’S FAMILY ASSOCIATIONS? ▶️
FROM THE PRESS BOX 🏀🏈⚾🏒
- Navigating Marshland?: How Sky head coach Tyler Marsh walks the even plane.
- Bears’ season opener: As the curtain rises on QB Caleb Williams’ season, here’s what the Bears want to see.
- Memory lane: Sammy Sosa and Derrek Lee rekindled memories of the Cubs’ highs and misses — as the 2025 team chases a championship.
- Putting in work: Lukas Reichel is hoping his innovative summer training pays off in the upcoming back-against-the-wall Blackhawks season.
- High school football: Barrington, Lincoln-Way Central and Oswego see positionings for the first time this season in Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 high school football rankings for Week 3.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Auburn Gresham’s celebration of neighborhood pride — and Chaka Khan
Reporting by Erica Thompson
Auburn Gresham’s 79th Street Renaissance Festival was one of many events happening Saturday as the city braced for possible increased operations by ICE and potential deployment of National Guard troops.
Rather than giving into fear, festivalgoers happily watched live entertainment, sampled food, patronized vendors, participated in family activities and enjoyed carnival rides.
And they enthusiastically welcomed headliner Chaka Khan, who had joined pop star Dua Lipa onstage Friday night at the United Center. Khan grew up in Chicago and attended the now-closed Calumet High School in Auburn Gresham.
“This is my hometown,” Khan said as she took the stage Saturday night. “This is where I came from. It’s good to be back.”
Khan also expressed excitement when seeing the size of the audience, which stood shoulder to shoulder as they sang along to her memorable hits, including “Do You Love What You Feel” and “Tell Me Something Good.”
Now in its 20th year, the festival draws about 20,000 attendees to its space at West 79th Street and South Racine Avenue. Hosted near Renaissance Park, the event is part of widespread efforts to revitalize the area. It celebrates the culture, community and business development in the neighborhood, which residents say has been unfairly painted as a violent place.
“We are told that the South Side is always dangerous, and it’s not necessarily true,” said Vince Jett, 33, who relocated to the neighborhood. “My experience was totally different from what people were telling me over the years. So coming out and seeing everybody enjoying each other and the music — it’s beautiful.”
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