Friday, February 20, 2026
Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke announced sweeping changes that will allow her office to prosecute federal immigration agents in cases where felony charges are deemed appropriate, following widespread calls to hold those agents accountable for their alleged misconduct.
A retired Cook County judge has sued the Illinois Supreme Court, saying the state high court justices violated his rights, both as a judge and a citizen, when they first recalled him to service and then booted him from the bench just a few weeks later after left-wing activists and two Chicago legal organizations complained about a column he wrote when he was not serving as a judge, calling for an end to Democrats' so-called "lawfare" against President Trump.
In January, Benjamin Ross got back the money, which was snatched from him in 2019 through a decades-old program that targeted travelers at airports, train stations and bus terminals.
Illinois has joined another lawsuit against the Trump administration over its attempts to cut funding for energy and infrastructure programs, according to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office.
Illinois is examining Martinez Duncan’s death for potential criminal behavior by jail staff, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office, which recorded nine deaths at the jail in 2025.