Sophia Tareen, Author at The Rapid City Post

Marimar Martinez, a woman who was shot by a Border Patrol agent last year, sits with her attorneys during a press conference Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Lawyers of Chicago woman shot by federal agents say documents show how DHS lies about investigations

February 11, 2026

Attorneys for a woman shot multiple times by a Border Patrol agent last year in Chicago say newly-released videos, texts and emails show how the Trump administration mishandles investigations and spreads misinformation. Marimar Martinez was shot five times by a Border Patrol agent in October. The teaching assistant who’s a U.S. citizen was charged with a felony after Homeland Security officials accused her of trying to ram agents with her vehicle. But the case was dismissed. Her attorneys wanted evidence in her now-dissolved criminal case public, especially after a federal agent fatally shot Minneapolis woman Renee Good under similar circumstances.

Former Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. speaks during an event where he was endorsed by the Southland Minister Alliance as a candidate for his old congressional seat after more than a decade out of office, Oct. 15, 2025, at Victory Christian International Ministries in Park Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Jesse Jackson Jr. pitches redemption in bid for old House seat years after campaign fraud conviction

February 4, 2026

Jesse Jackson Jr. has launched a spirited primary bid for his old U.S. House seat. The Chicago Democrat says his perspective after serving prison time for campaign fraud makes him an ideal candidate at a time when voters have accepted other politicians — namely a president — with criminal pasts. The theme of redemption is woven through his comeback attempt in the largely Black and Democratic district. He’s telling stories about incarceration, re-entry and caring for his ailing dad, the Rev. Jesse Jackson. But the efforts haven’t been without scrutiny from other March primary candidates who say the district needs change.

Chicago man cleared in Border Patrol bounty trial now faces immigration proceedings

January 27, 2026

A Chicago carpenter cleared of accusations that he put a $10,000 bounty on the life of a Border Patrol commander’s life has been taken into immigration custody. Attorneys confirm that 37-year-old Juan Espinoza Martinez was picked up by federal immigration officers within 24 hours of his acquittal. He faces removal from the country. According to his videotaped testimony at trial, Espinoza Martinez was brought to the U.S. from Mexico as a young child. His immigration status was not part of the first criminal trial stemming from the Chicago immigration crackdown. His attorneys say that the federal government has marred Espinoza Martinez’ reputation instead of dealing with facts and evidence.

U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino speaks during a news conference Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Trial of Chicago man accused of putting bounty on top Border Patrol leader sent to jury

January 22, 2026

The fate of a Chicago man accused of using Snapchat to circulate a $10,000 bounty on the life of a top Border Patrol commander rests in a federal jury’s hands. Juan Espinoza Martinez is charged with murder-for-hire in the first criminal trial out of the Chicago area immigration crackdown. Testimony lasted mere hours in the federal trial that’s the latest test of the Trump administration’s credibility on federal surges that’ve played out from Minnesota to Maine. If convicted, Espinoza Martinez faces up to 10 years. The defense says Espinoza Martinez was circulating neighborhood gossip but prosecutors say his words were serious.

U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino arrives as protesters gather outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minn. (AP Photo/Tom Baker)

Snapchats to informant central at trial for man accused in murder plot of Border Patrol leader

January 21, 2026

Snapchat messages a Chicago man accused of soliciting the murder of a Border Patrol commander unknowingly sent to a government informant took center stage at the opening day of the man’s trial. Juan Espinoza Martinez faces one count of murder-for-hire in the first criminal trial from last year’s immigration crackdown in Chicago. Prosecutors allege Espinoza Martinez put a $10,000 bounty on the life of Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol official behind the crackdown. But defense attorneys say Espinoza Martinez didn’t have that kind of money and the messages to his brother and friend-turned-informant were “neighborhood gossip.”

FILE - U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents arrive to escort U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Gregory Bovino from federal court in Chicago, Oct. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

Jurors selected in trial for alleged murder-for-hire plot of Border Patrol leader in Chicago

January 20, 2026

A jury has been selected for the trial of a man accused of putting a $10,000 bounty on the life of a Border Patrol commander who led an immigration crackdown in the Chicago area last year. It is the first criminal trial out of the crackdown in and around the nation’s third-largest city. Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, faces one count of murder-for-hire. Prosecutors allege he’s a “ranking member” of the Latin Kings gang who offered a cash incentive for Gregory Bovino’s killing. Attorneys and family members of Espinoza Martinez say he isn’t a gang member and is a working dad of three children.

Four Illinois members of Congress left to right; Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., and Jesus Garcia, D-Ill., leave after a visit to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in Broadview, Ill. (AP Photo/Sophia Tareen)

Illinois members of Congress are latest to tour immigration facilities after judge’s ruling

December 22, 2025

Four Illinois members of Congress have been allowed into a suburban Chicago immigration processing center that’s been at the forefront of an immigration crackdown. Their tour on Monday comes after a judge’s ruling last week said Trump administration policies cannot block congressional access to immigration facilities. The Associated Press observed U.S. Reps. Danny Davis, Jesús “Chuy” García, Delia Ramirez and Jonathan Jackson walk into the facility and spend about an hour inside. They reported some improved conditions but raised concerns about the lack of medical staff. The facility has been criticized for being used as a de facto detention center.

Illinois panel’s first meeting over federal misconduct focuses on chemical agents

December 18, 2025

A commission formed to document alleged harassment and abuse by federal agents amid an immigration crackdown in the Chicago area has focused its first public hearing on the wide use of chemical agents. The meeting comes as a Border Patrol commander who was the face of the Chicago operation before leading similar crackdowns in North Carolina and Louisiana returned to the nation’s third-largest city. The commission was formed by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. It’s the latest resistance effort by Democratic states who say the federal intervention is discriminatory and an overreach.

FILE - Law enforcement officers guard outside an ICE processing facility in the Chicago suburb of Broadview, Ill., on Nov. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

Court blocks the release of hundreds of immigrants arrested in a Chicago-area crackdown

December 12, 2025

A federal appeals court has blocked the immediate release of hundreds of immigrants detained during a Chicago-area immigration crackdown. Thursday’s split decision also allows the extension of a consent decree outlining how federal agents can make warrantless arrests. The consent decree has been in the spotlight since the Trump administration ramped up immigration enforcement in the Chicago area in September. Last month, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings found the government violated the agreement. He ordered the release of more than 600 immigrants on bond, which the appeals court paused. Attorneys say roughly 450 remain in custody.

U.S. Border Patrol Commander at large Gregory Bovino looks on, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Appeals court pauses order restricting use of force by immigration agents in Chicago-area crackdown

November 19, 2025

A federal appeals court is temporarily halting an order that restricts the use of force by federal immigration agents in the Chicago area, calling it “overbroad” and “too prescriptive.” But the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals also cautioned against “overreading” its stay and said a quick appeal process could lead to a “more tailored and appropriate” order. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis issued a preliminary injunction in response to a lawsuit filed by news outlets and protesters. They allege federal agents used excessive force during the immigration crackdown that led to thousands of arrests across the nation’s third-largest city and its many suburbs.

FILE - The Rev. Jesse Jackson listens to speakers at the Tabernacle Baptist Church during the 60th anniversary of the march to ensure that African Americans could exercise their constitutional right to vote, March 9, 2025, in Selma, Ala. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

Chicago civil rights leader Jesse Jackson hospitalized for rare neurological disorder

November 13, 2025

The Rev. Jesse Jackson is in the hospital with a rare neurological disorder. Jackson’s Chicago-based civil rights organization says the 84-year-old was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in April and is under observation. Jackson was told he had Parkinson’s disease about a decade earlier but continued to make public appearances including at last year’s Democratic National Convention. He has been unable to walk, relying on a wheelchair. Family members say in recent months he’s been unable to speak.

People protesting the actions of federal immigration agents in Little Village clash with Chicago police officers Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Suburban Chicago dad and toddler headed to store says they were pepper-sprayed by federal agents

November 10, 2025

A suburban Chicago father says he and his 1-year-old daughter were pepper-sprayed at close range as they headed grocery shopping over the weekend and happened upon federal immigration agents. Rafael Veraza said the incident happened in a Sam’s Club parking lot in Cicero on Saturday, amid escalating clashes between immigration agents and frustrated area residents. The suburb shares a border with the Chicago neighborhood of Little Village, a largely Mexican enclave that has frequently been at the center of a federal immigration crackdown that began two months ago. The Department of Homeland Security disputes the family’s account, which was captured on video.

FILE - U.S. Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García marches in the Mexican Independence Day Parade, Sept. 14, 2025, in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)

Illinois congressman forgoes reelection with eyebrow-raising move to place chief of staff on ballot

November 6, 2025

U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia confirms he won’t seek reelection days after the Illinois Democrat backed a quiet effort to get his chief of staff on the March primary ballot as his replacement. Garcia becomes the fifth Illinois representative to forgo reelection in the 2026 midterms, leaving one of the highest number of open congressional seats in state history. All five are considered safely Democratic, along with a seat left open by retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. Garcia says a combination of health and family issues led to the decision after he’d already submitted his petitions.

Senior U.S. Border Patrol official Greg Bovino speaks to Associated Press reporters during an interview Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in Rosemont, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Border Patrol official behind Chicago immigration crackdown defends tactics as Trump cheers

November 4, 2025

The Border Patrol leader who’s behind an aggressive immigration crackdown across the Chicago area is applauding his agents’ use of force and aggressive tactics. That’s even as the operation has prompted resident backlash, lawsuits and criminal investigations. In an interview with The Associated Press, Gregory Bovino defended the approach of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection as appropriate and necessary. More than 3,200 people have been arrested since “Operation Midway Blitz” began in September as part of the Trump administration’s push to target cities with “sanctuary” immigration policies. Agents working in Chicago have increasingly used rubber bullets, pepper balls and a synthetic irritant used by police as tear gas.

FILE - A sign regarding the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is posted on the window of a corner store on the day of President Trump's Inauguration, Jan. 20, 2025, in the predominantly Latino Little Village neighborhood Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)

As federal agents ramp up Chicago immigration crackdown, more elected officials caught in crosshairs

October 23, 2025

As federal agents ramp up an immigration crackdown in the Chicago area, an increasing number of elected officials in the Democratic stronghold are getting caught in the crosshairs. Members of Chicago’s City Council and their staff members, state legislators and congressional candidates have been threatened, handcuffed and detained in recent days. The Trump administration has said anyone who interferes or threatens federal officers will face consequences. But the elected leaders in Illinois say it is an alarming escalation of tactics in U.S. cities that’s meant to spark fear and intimidation.

FILE - The interior of the U.S. Penitentiary execution room is seen March 22, 1995, in Terre Haute, Ind. (AP Photo/Chuck Robinson, File)

Indiana man convicted in 2001 rape and murder of teenager to be executed by lethal injection

October 8, 2025

An Indiana man convicted in the 2001 rape and murder of a teenage girl is set to die by lethal injection early Friday in the state’s third execution since resuming capital punishment last year. Roy Lee Ward will be put to death before sunrise at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. The 53-year-old was convicted in the rape and murder of 15-year-old Stacy Payne and sentenced to death. The brutal crime happened in the family’s home in the small southern Indiana community of Dale. Attorneys say Ward has exhausted his legal options after more than two decades of court battles.

Indiana set to execute man convicted of 2001 rape and murder of small-town teenage girl

October 8, 2025

Indiana will put to death a man who was convicted in the 2001 rape and murder of a teenage girl, the state’s third execution since resuming capital punishment last year. The execution of Roy Lee Ward is scheduled before sunrise Friday at the state prison in Michigan City, Indiana. Attorneys say the 52-year-old has exhausted his legal options to challenge the sentence. Family members of 15-year-old Stacy Payne say they want justice to be carried out. Ward’s execution by lethal injection comes amid questions about Indiana’s handling of pentobarbital, the drug it has used in recent executions.

Escalation of Chicago immigration operations lead to claims of discriminatory stops

September 29, 2025

The sight of armed, camouflaged and masked Border Patrol agents making arrests near famous downtown Chicago landmarks has amplified concerns about the Trump administration growing federal intervention across U.S. cities. As Memphis and Portland brace for a surge of federal law enforcement, residents in the nation’s third-largest city met a brazen weekend escalation of immigration enforcement tactics with anger, fear and fresh claims of discrimination. But Trump has called the expansion of federal immigration agents and National Guard troops into American cities necessary, blasting Democrats for crime and lax immigration policies.

People protest outside of an immigration facility guarded by federal agents Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, in in Broadview, Ill. (AP Photo/Laura Bargfeld)

Activists say immigration enforcement increased as Chicago waits for promised federal intervention

September 15, 2025

Activists in Chicago’s immigrant rights network say there’s been a noticeable uptick in immigration enforcement in recent days as the nation’s third-largest city awaits federal intervention repeatedly promised by President Donald Trump. While there’s no evidence of large-scale arrests or aggressive tactics used in Los Angeles, activists say there’s been a spike in arrests in immigrant-heavy city neighborhoods and far flung suburbs of Chicago. Immigration officers are focused on isolated traffic stops and there’s been an increased presence of them at local courthouses.

FILE - Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar speaks during a campaign rally outside the state Capitol on Nov. 3, 2014, in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)

Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, a popular two-term Republican, dies at 79

September 14, 2025

Family members say former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar has died at 79. The popular two-term Republican was credited with guiding Illinois into a period of greater financial stability in the 1990s. Family members say he died from complications stemming from treatment for pancreatic cancer. Edgar was a former state legislator who also had served as Illinois secretary of state. He was first elected governor in 1990 and easily won reelection with bipartisan support. The moderate Republican remained a party statesman and was uneasy with his party’s shift to the right. He was part of a campaign last year to support Kamala Harris’ presidential bid.

FILE - Pope Leo XIV arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)

Chicago suburb where Pope Leo XIV grew up celebrates his 70th birthday with gospel music, balloons

September 14, 2025

The Chicago suburb where Pope Leo XIV grew up is celebrating his 70th birthday with gospel music and a balloon release outside his boyhood home. A small crowd attended the festivities Sunday outside the modest brick house in the village of Dolton, where the former Robert Prevost grew up. He was born in 1955 in Chicago, about 20 miles away. The village purchased the house in July in hopes of boosting tourism and claiming a piece of papal history of the first American pope. Village officials say they tried to contact Pope Leo but did not hear back.

Guard not needed in Chicago, Pritzker tells AP during tour of city to counter Trump’s crime claims

August 28, 2025

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is doubling down on his message to President Donald Trump that the nation’s third-largest city doesn’t need or want military intervention to fight crime. He told the Associated Press on Wednesday that troops could escalate things. Trump and Pritzker have traded insults for days over a supposed plan that would deploy the National Guard to Chicago and Baltimore, as the administration has done in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Pritzker and city leaders vow to sue, but in the meantime Pritzker has convened showy news conferences, posted sarcastic social media and hosted a campaign-style neighborhood stop, keeping Chicago in the spotlight.

FILE - Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald stands on the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan, Oct. 23, 2021, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

Northwestern reaches settlement with football coach who was fired amid hazing scandal

August 21, 2025

Northwestern University has reached a settlement with former longtime football coach Pat Fitzgerald two years after he sued the prestigious school over his firing amid a team hazing scandal. His attorneys and the school announced the settlement on Thursday, however the terms were not disclosed. Fitzgerald sued in 2023 for $130 million after he was fired, alleging the school illegally terminated his employment and damaged his reputation. The case was set to go to trial in November. Fitzgerald says he never had any knowledge of hazing. University officials agreed with the sentiment following interviews with players.

Prosecutors won’t charge Chicago officers who fired nearly 100 times during a deadly traffic stop

August 13, 2025

Prosecutors say Chicago police officers who fired their guns nearly 100 times during a 2024 traffic stop and killed a 26-year-old man won’t face criminal charges. The shooting that killed Dexter Reed, a Black man, raised questions about the use of force and the role of tactical officers who were involved. Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke says there is “clear and overwhelming evidence” that led her to decide against charges, including that Reed fired first at the officers. She says her office doesn’t determine whether police used proper tactics during the traffic stop.

Jennifer Peyton sits for an interview in downtown Chicago on July 21, 2025. Peyton was fired from her position as Assistant Chief Immigration Judge on July 3rd, with no cause given. (AP Photo/Laura Bargfeld)

Immigration judges fired by Trump administration say they will fight back

July 26, 2025

Federal immigration judges fired by the Trump administration are filing appeals, pursuing legal action and speaking out in an unusually public campaign to fight for their jobs. More than 50 immigration judges have been fired since Donald Trump assumed the presidency for the second time. Normally bound by courtroom decorum, many are now unrestrained in describing terminations they consider unlawful and why they believe they were targeted. Their suspected reasons include racial and gender discrimination, decisions on immigration cases highlighted by the Trump administration and a courthouse tour with the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat.

One of sexual assault survivor Kate-Lynn (first name only), wipes his face after talking to media during a news conference in Chicago, Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Survivors’ lawyers say Illinois has one of nation’s worst records on sex abuse in juvenile detention

July 16, 2025

Illinois has one of the nation’s worst problems with child sex abuse at juvenile detention centers. That’s according to attorneys representing more than 900 survivors who have filed lawsuits against the state. Dozens of complaints allege decades of systemic abuse by the employees at state and county-run facilities. Similar lawsuits have popped up in states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, but Illinois stands out for the volume of cases that began piling up only last year and the lackluster response from state leaders, according to attorneys. The latest Illinois complaints were filed Tuesday and represent 107 people at 10 centers statewide.

The grave marker of 75-year-old Pfc. Reba C. Bailey, a former missing person cold case named Seven Doe, is seen during a military funeral at Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery in Chicago, Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Talia Sprague)

Military honors bestowed on Illinois veteran identified nearly a decade after death

July 2, 2025

A veteran who died in Chicago without any recollection of their life has been memorialized in a funeral service with military honors. Investigators in Cook County identified the body through post-mortem fingerprints as Reba Caroline Bailey in 2023. However, they also unearthed a deeper mystery in how the veteran who served in the Women’s Army Corps in the 1960s became homeless and ended up at a Chicago shelter with no memories aside from identifying as a man named Seven. Along with military honors, investigators last year installed a gravestone with Bailey’s birth name and military rank.

FILE - Cain Oulahan, Ramon Morales Reyes' immigration attorney addresses the media, May 30, 2025 in Milwaukee about the detention of his client Ramon Morales Reyes. (AP Photo/Andy Manis, File)

What to know about Ramón Morales Reyes, a Wisconsin man falsely accused of threatening Trump’s life

June 4, 2025

A man falsely accused of threatening President Donald Trump’s life faces deportation even as Wisconsin authorities say the Mexican immigrant was framed and is a victim of a violent 2023 attack. Ramón Morales Reyes was thrust into the national spotlight last week when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused him of writing letters threatening Trump. Agency officials have quietly acknowledged that Morales Reyes is no longer a suspect in that threat a day after another man was charged in Wisconsin for forging the letters. But Trump administration social media posts blasting Morales Reyes as a potential presidential assassin remain online.

What to know about onetime Chicago gang leader Larry Hoover, whose federal sentence Trump commuted

May 29, 2025

One of Chicago’s most infamous gang leaders is among President Donald Trump’s most recent presidential commutations. The puzzling move raised questions about whether Larry Hoover will be freed. The 74-year-old Hoover has been serving a life sentence at the nation’s most restrictive prison in Colorado. He was first imprisoned in Illinois for a 1973 murder and decades later convicted in federal court for running a criminal enterprise while behind bars. Trump’s move commutes the federal sentence of the ex-gang leader and prison entrepreneur revered in rap lyrics. However, Hoover must still serve the remainder of his lengthy Illinois sentence.

Sophia Tareen.