Panel Vacates Sweeping Anti-ICE Injunction, Warns Against Similar Orders
A three-judge Seventh Circuit panel struck down a districtwide preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis that had regulated federal immigration enforcement operations across Chicago. The court found the order was “overbroad” and “constitutionally suspect.”
The injunction arose from litigation over “Operation Midway Blitz,” the federal immigration enforcement campaign in Chicago that began in mid-2025. Judge Ellis issued the order after finding federal agents had engaged in conduct that “shocked the conscience.” The Seventh Circuit held the district court lacked authority to supervise Executive Branch enforcement, calling the order an improper extension of judicial oversight into executive functions.
Council Unanimously Expands COPA Authority to Probe CPD-ICE Cooperation
The Chicago City Council voted unanimously to grant the Civilian Office of Police Accountability explicit authority to investigate whether Chicago police officers violated the city’s Welcoming City Ordinance by assisting federal immigration agents. The ordinance, introduced by Ald. Jessie Fuentes after a June 2025 South Loop incident, comes after COPA received between 28 and 40 complaints involving CPD interactions with federal agents.
Mayor Brandon Johnson called it a “common-sense measure.” Police Superintendent Larry Snelling endorsed external oversight, saying an outside body provides “greater credibility” than internal investigations.
Who This Affects
Officers face COPA investigation for any assistance provided to federal immigration agents.
Strengthened enforcement of the Welcoming City Ordinance and formal non-cooperation framework.
Chief Administrator LaKenya White gains an expanded investigative mandate over a new category of complaints.
City formally codifies non-cooperation, increasing legal exposure for joint operations with CPD.
200+ Leaders Demand Special Prosecutor for Operation Midway Blitz
A coalition of more than 200 elected officials, faith leaders, attorneys, and community organizations submitted a formal petition to the chief judge of the Criminal Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, demanding appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate federal agents’ conduct during Operation Midway Blitz. Led by Chicago firm Loevy & Loevy, the petition alleges ICE agents committed assault and battery against civilians, clergy, and reporters; illegally detained an elected official; and tear-gassed neighborhoods.
Temp Labor Act’s Private Enforcement Mechanism Struck Down
Judge Neil H. Cohen ruled that Section 67 of the Illinois Day and Temporary Labor Services Act is unconstitutional, finding it creates a qui tam-style private enforcement mechanism that usurps the Illinois Attorney General’s constitutional authority to litigate on behalf of the State. The case, Figueroa, et al. v. Visual Pak Holdings, LLC, No. 2025 CH 04411, was brought by temporary workers and the Chicago Workers’ Collaborative.
- Any “interested party” — including worker advocacy organizations — could bring enforcement actions
- Successful parties recovered 10% of statutory penalties plus attorneys’ fees
- No notice to the Attorney General required
- AG had no authority to intervene, control, dismiss, or settle
- Private enforcement usurps the AG’s exclusive constitutional authority
- Creates qui tam mechanism without required safeguards
- No AG oversight or control over state claims
- Worker advocacy groups can no longer bring independent enforcement actions under § 67
BIPA Expands Into AI: Voiceprints Are the New Fingerprints
Basich et al. v. Microsoft Corp., No. 2:26-cv-00422 (W.D. Wash.)
Five Illinois residents allege Microsoft’s real-time transcription feature creates “voiceprints” through speaker diarization — analyzing pitch, tone, and timbre to identify who is speaking — without the notice, consent, or data retention disclosures BIPA requires. The class period reaches back to March 2021 when Teams launched live transcription. Per-violation damages of $1,000–$5,000 could reach billions given Teams’ near-universal corporate adoption.
A March 2026 class action accuses Fireflies.AI Corp. of collecting voiceprints from meeting participants without consent. The AI notetaking tool joins meetings to transcribe and summarize, allegedly capturing biometric identifiers from every participant’s voice without written notice.
Together, these cases mark BIPA’s expansion from physical biometrics — fingerprints, face scans — into AI-generated voice analysis. The frontier now implicates virtually every collaboration tool with transcription capabilities.
Cook County Record · UC Today · Top Class Actions16 States Challenge HUD Threat to Defund Fair Housing Enforcement
AG Raoul co-led a coalition challenging the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for threatening to withhold funding from state and local fair housing agencies. HUD issued guidance threatening to decertify partner agencies unless they stopped enforcing protections based on sexual orientation, gender identity, language, criminal records, and source of income. The lawsuit alleges violations of the Spending Clause and the Administrative Procedure Act.
AG Raoul Fights Federal Policy on Two Fronts
The coalition argues Section 122 does not authorize the 10% tariffs imposed, following an earlier Supreme Court win rejecting tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
A federal judge blocked the termination of CDC grants funding disease surveillance, lead poisoning prevention, and HIV testing and treatment programs across Illinois.
POWER Act: Data Center Regulation Builds Momentum
The POWER Act would require data centers to pay for their own renewable energy, mandate transparency about water usage through IEPA permits, and establish community benefits agreements with public oversight boards. The bill remains in committee as of March 18, with Democratic lawmakers characterizing its provisions as “commonsense guardrails.” The regular session adjourns May 31.
Executive Order 2026-01: Governor Pritzker directed the Illinois Power Agency and ICC to evaluate nuclear development sites, targeting 2 GW of new capacity by 2033. He also proposed a two-year pause on new data center tax credits to address rising electricity prices and surging power demand.
Two Cases Argued at Western Illinois University
People v. Marshall
Question: Whether a defendant who fails to raise an issue in a required post-trial motion has permanently waived it — or merely forfeited it, preserving appellate review in limited circumstances.
A Livingston County man charged with aggravated battery after allegedly punching a sheriff’s deputy.
The distinction between waiver and forfeiture shapes criminal appellate practice statewide. A forfeiture finding preserves plain-error review; waiver permanently closes the door.
E.W. v. Board of Education of East St. Louis School Dist. #189
Question: Whether state law requires public school districts to extend bus routes beyond existing service to transport eligible private school students.
Parents of private school students challenge the district’s refusal to create new routes.
Affects every school district in Illinois that serves both public and private school transportation obligations — the ruling will determine whether districts must incur additional costs.
2 Million Records, One Automated System: The Implementation Countdown
Governor Pritzker signed the Clean Slate Act in January 2026, making Illinois the latest state to automate criminal record sealing for nonviolent offenses. An estimated 2 million Illinois residents could have their records sealed — including all misdemeanors, Class 1–4 felonies, dismissals, acquittals, and successful supervision. Excluded: Class X felonies, sex offenses, violent crimes, DUI, and domestic battery.
The Pension Equation: Illinois’s $172 Billion Problem
Governor Pritzker revived his pension reform proposal in February 2026, extending the full-funding target from 90%-by-2045 to 100%-by-2048. The plan redirects tax refund surpluses and bond repayment revenues to pension obligations, and extends the pension buyout program through 2028 — already responsible for $2.9 billion in reduced liability. Chicago’s police and firefighter plans are funded at just 24.5%, a figure projected to worsen after an August 2025 law increased payouts.
NPR Illinois · Bloomberg$100M Walmart Settlement Over Deceptive Spark Driver Pay
Total judgment — FTC, Illinois, and 11 other state attorneys general
AG Raoul and the FTC reached a $100 million settlement with Walmart over allegations that the company systematically deceived delivery drivers and customers through its Spark platform. Walmart allegedly inflated displayed earnings, split orders after driver acceptance to reduce payments, and falsely claimed 100% of customer tips went to drivers.
The Week Ahead
Key dates and deadlines on the Illinois legal calendar.