Judicial Watch Sues Evanston, IL, Mayor for Records on Interference with Federal Immigration Enforcement

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed an Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against Evanston, IL, Mayor Daniel Biss for records related to obstruction of federal immigration enforcement (Judicial Watch Inc. v. Office of the Mayor (No. 2025CH11002)).

Judicial Watch sued in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, County Department, Chancery Division, after the mayor’s office failed to comply with a September 25, 2025, FOIA request for: 

• Records of Biss’s activities related to ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] operations, including “Operation Midway Blitz,” and the protest at the ICE facility in Broadview, IL, where tear gas was deployed in September 2025.
• Media related to ICE protests and activities, including any of the city’s photographs, videos or audio recordings depicting Biss’s participation in ICE-related protests or monitoring.
• Communications involving Biss as related to ICE operations, protests, or sanctuary city policies.
• License plate camera deactivation.
• Use of city resources and taxpayer time on ICE-related protests.
• Sanctuary city policies and ICE non-cooperation.

On September 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced “Operation Midway Blitz,” targeting “the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois because they knew Governor Pritzker and his sanctuary policies would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets.”

On September 11, 2025, Biss said that upon learning of planned federal immigration enforcement activity in Evanston, he notified residents so they could “protect themselves.” He further stated, “We’ve been doing everything we can to protect our residents from before Donald Trump took office, passing strong sanctuary laws to make sure police are not cooperating with federal civil immigration enforcement.” Biss reportedly ordered Evanston’s license plate cameras turned off after learning the data was being shared with federal immigration authorities.

On September 19, Biss reportedly was involved in a protest during which federal law enforcement agents deployed pepper and tear gas at an ICE processing center in Broadview, IL. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated “desperate politicians want their 15 minutes of fame, and they’re willing to do it off the backs of our law enforcement…. We will not back down.”

On September 26, tear gas again was used to disperse violent protesters at the Broadview facility. An ICE spokesperson said two people were arrested, “one of whom was carrying a firearm.” Also, “rioters and sanctuary politicians obstructed law enforcement, threw tear gas cans, rocks, bottles, and fireworks, slashed tires of cars, blocked the entrance of the building, and trespassed on private property.”

In October 2025, Evanston, IL, issued a press release discussing “ICE-Free Zones” and strategies for “state and local agencies—including the Secretary of State, the Illinois Accountability Commission, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office” to hinder federal immigration enforcement actions.

Federal supremacy in immigration matters is established by the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and codified in the Immigration and Nationality Act in Title 8 of the U.S. Code. These provisions reserve exclusive authority to the federal government for the regulation of admission, removal, and enforcement of immigration laws.

“The mayor of Evanston’s apparent interference with lawful immigration operations undermines the rule of law and places law enforcement and other innocent lives at risk,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

Judicial Watch also recently sued Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs for records regarding her office reportedly ordering state police and the National Guard to withhold cooperation from federal immigration enforcement authorities.

Christine Svenson of Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kaufman, LLC is assisting Judicial Watch in this case. 

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