Chicago family sues after separation at border, meeting the mayoral candidates and more in your Chicago news roundup

Good afternoon. Right here’s the most recent information you might want to know in Chicago. It’s a few five-minute learn that can temporary you on at this time’s largest tales.

— Matt Moore (@MattKenMoore​​​​​​​)

This afternoon will probably be sunny with a excessive close to 27 levels. Tonight will probably be largely clear with a low close to 17. Tomorrow will probably be just a little cloudy with a excessive close to 29.

High story

Chicago family files federal lawsuit following separation at border

Almost 5 years after Selvin Argueta and his then-teenage son started a journey to depart their native Guatemala to hunt asylum, there’s nonetheless part of him that looks like he hasn’t recovered from it.

Hours after turning themselves over to U.S. immigration brokers, he and his eldest son, Selvin Najera, who was a minor in Might 2018, have been separated with out a lot clarification. It could be greater than a yr and half earlier than the daddy and son would see one another once more.

“There’s nonetheless a wound in your coronary heart,” Argueta mentioned in Spanish this week. “We don’t need it to occur to anybody else as a result of it was a really troublesome second and nobody — as a human — deserves it.”

Argueta and his son, who’s now 21 years previous, mentioned they don’t need some other household to undergo what they skilled. It’s one of many the explanation why they filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday in U.S. District Courtroom in opposition to the federal government to hunt financial damages for his or her separation and detention. The lawsuit alleges claims of intentional infliction of emotional misery, negligence, abuse of course of and harboring a minor.

Their separation was prompted by a so-called zero-tolerance coverage instituted by former President Donald Trump’s administration that sought to prosecute any grownup crossing the border for unlawful entry. If the grownup had a baby with them, they have been separated and brought into custody by Well being and Human Providers, the Associated Press beforehand reported.

Argueta, who has since been reunited together with his different six kids and spouse, and his son are actually dwelling in Chicago as their asylum case snakes by immigration courtroom. Argueta and his son are represented within the lately filed lawsuit by the College of Chicago Regulation Faculty’s Immigrants’ Rights Clinic.

The lawsuit is a part of a wave of comparable litigation taking place throughout the nation from mother and father who have been separated from their kids throughout that point interval, mentioned Jace Lee, one of many scholar attorneys representing the household. The household can be represented by legal professional Nicole Hallett, director of the legislation clinic. Lee mentioned households have tried unsuccessfully to settle their claims with the federal government, which is why some like Argueta are transferring ahead with the federal lawsuits.

Allison O’Connor, one other scholar legal professional representing the Argueta household, mentioned they anticipate the federal government will attempt to have the lawsuit dismissed, however they see it as a option to maintain authorities entities accountable for the separation.

“It was such a traumatic expertise,” O’Connor mentioned. “It was additionally a very dehumanizing expertise. They typically discuss how shocked they felt that they have been handled like criminals.”

Elvia Malagón has more on the lawsuit here.

Extra information you want

• Surveillance footage launched yesterday reveals Chicago police officer Enrique Delgado Fernandez repeatedly punching a person in a holding cell greater than three years in the past. The video was released by activist William Calloway, who called for the firing of the officer and his partner in the beating of Damien Stewart in May of 2019.
• A former Chicago police officer is going through felony expenses for allegedly getting out of paying dozens of tickets by repeatedly claiming his automobile had been stolen. Jeffrey Kriv backed up his false claims with faux paperwork, an investigation by town’s Workplace of the Inspector Normal discovered. In all, Kriv avoided paying $3,665 in fines to the city, prosecutors said yesterday.
• A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted Thomas Girardi, the lawyer husband of embattled “Actual Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne. Girardi, 83, is charged with allegedly stealing more than $3 million in legal settlement money from family members of Lion Air Flight 610 crash victims.
• Chicagoan Joseph Pavlik, 65, is going through federal legal expenses for allegedly collaborating in an hours-long siege through the Jan. 6, 2021 riot on the U.S. Capitol. Our Jon Seidel has more on the charges facing Pavlik here.
• Gov. J.B. Pritzker yesterday introduced the tip of the state’s COVID-19 catastrophe proclamation — virtually three years after first declaring a public well being emergency in Illinois through the early surge of the pandemic. Pritzker’s choice piggybacks on the White Home’s announcement on Monday that it’s going to finish the COVID nationwide and public well being emergencies on Might 11. Illinois’ public well being emergency declaration may even finish that day. But Pritzker also warned that the pandemic isn’t quite over.
• A workers member has been faraway from Theodore Roosevelt Excessive Faculty in Albany Park following a bodily altercation with a scholar, in response to Chicago Public Faculties. The video seems to point out a workers member grabbing a scholar by the neck and shoving him to the bottom. The staff member has been removed as a probe is conducted.
• The FTC at this time fined the medicine low cost firm GoodRx $1.5 million for sharing information on its customers’ medicines and diseases with firms equivalent to Fb and Google with out permission. It’s the first time that a proposed FTC consent order is seeking to prohibit a company from sharing user health data with third parties for advertising purposes.
• Homeowners of sure Kia and Hyundai fashions are being denied insurance coverage insurance policies by firms like State Farm and Progressive because of a steep rise in thefts of the automobiles. Chicago is without doubt one of the cities that has seen a spike in thefts. The Sheriff’s Department has said that videos on TikTok and YouTube show thieves how to start the cars without keys.
• In a testy debate between the 9 mayoral candidates final night time, businessman Willie Wilson was focused for his repeated requires police to be allowed to “hunt folks down like rabbits.” Wilson made no apologies, saying anyone who kills someone, “well, they put themselves down there.”
• The Little Village Low cost Mall will keep open till a minimum of Feb. 16, when distributors, metropolis officers and the mall’s proprietor will meet to debate a plan for the way forward for the location, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (twenty fifth) introduced yesterday. The announcement comes a day before the mall, which includes nearly 100 vendors who pay rent to sell their merchandise, was set to shut its doors.
• Concessions employees on the United Middle have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike that would begin anytime. The labor dispute hits during a busy time in the West Side stadium’s calendar, with a strike potentially affecting 700 employees.
• Beyoncé introduced the dates for her Renaissance World Tour, which kicks off in Stockholm, Sweden, in Might, and features a cease in Chicago on July 22 at Soldier Subject. Our Miriam Di Nunzio has more on the tour and process for getting tickets here.

Elections 2023

As we enter the ultimate weeks main as much as the Feb. 28 election, WBEZ and the Solar-Instances are persevering with to roll out worthwhile instruments to maintain you knowledgeable as you put together to make your voice heard. At our election hub, you’ll discover a quiz that’ll pairs you with the candidate who aligns together with your values, a mock up of what your poll will appear like and rather more.

In the present day, we’ve revealed profiles of every of the 9 candidates — together with video interviews — that will help you get to know them higher.

A vivid one

Chicago’s South Side is heart — and soul — of Lyric Opera’s ‘Factotum’

About 5 years in the past, after watching a documentary a number of instances in regards to the massively profitable Broadway musical “Hire,” loosely primarily based on Puccini’s iconic opera “La Bohème,” famous baritone Will Liverman acquired an concept. Why not replace “The Barber of Seville,” one other celebrated historic opera, and set it in a up to date Black barber store?

“The Factotum,” the ensuing work, which Liverman created with producer/DJ/multi-instrumentalist DJ King Rico, opens on the Harris Theater for Music and Dance on Feb. 3 — the primary of two world premieres this season introduced by Lyric Opera of Chicago.

“Folks know the experiences within the barber store and have lived that,” mentioned Liverman, whose baritone is a well-recognized presence on the Lyric stage, “and so we wished to create one thing that was accessible in that manner and was a narrative that we had a perspective on.”

The opera is among the many first with a wholly Black and BIPOC solid and inventive workforce, and it’s the first to include an onstage DJ as a part of its revolutionary 18-piece orchestration, which incorporates digital keyboards and electrical bass and guitar. 

Anthony Vazquez/Solar-Instances

“It speaks to what folks need on the earth of opera,” mentioned Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, co-book author, dramaturg and director. “We’ve tapped right into a option to make opera essential, pressing, entertaining and thrilling for folk who love opera and those that’ve by no means skilled it.”

Liverman, who grew up in Virginia Seaside, Va., and now lives in Chicago, has at all times been focused on composition and enthralled by theater. Though hesitant at first to dive into operatic conception, the singer took his concept for a revamped “Barber of Seville” to Rico, a childhood buddy. They each found opera by a program in Virginia often known as the Governor’s Faculty for the Arts that ran parallel to their conventional high-school curriculum.

Rico didn’t want a lot convincing to signal on.

“Carving out house for our tales to be instructed is at all times one thing that’s interesting to me,” he mentioned, “and utilizing the artwork type of opera, there are such a lot of intricacies which you could pull from — the costumes, lighting, design and clearly the music.”

Kyle MacMillan has more with the cast of “The Factotum” here.

From the press field

Your each day query☕

In honor of the primary day of Black Historical past Month, what’s your favourite native, Black-owned small enterprise? Inform us why.

Ship us an e mail at newsletters@suntimes.com and we’d function your reply within the subsequent Afternoon Version.

Yesterday we requested you: What’s one thing about Chicago winters that’s truly underrated? Right here’s what a few of you mentioned…

“The kindness of strangers volunteering to push caught vehicles.” — Tony Fernandez

“The fantastic thing about the ice because it builds up on issues. Nature can take an peculiar object and switch it into artwork!” — Bobette Staley

“I need to admit town does an awesome job holding the primary streets plowed.” — Heidi Sommer

“Whatever the temperature outdoors, the meals scene and nightlife proceed!” — Mark Anthony

“Nice views of the lake when the ice types.” — Nick Esposito

“The power of Chicago’s snow removing crews to maintain the roads open.” — Howard Sims

“The quiet when it snows.” — Trudee Manderfield

“Midwest hospitality! Persons are so good! Greater than traditional when it’s so chilly within the metropolis.” — Sarah Dunlap

“That look you have got between others standing on a prepare platform in subzero temps with excessive winds, pure empathy and encouragement. I’ve by no means felt a lot understanding from making eye contact with strangers than that.” — Samantha Hartsfield Jahnke

“How attractive the ice is alongside the lakefront as wind, water, and chilly temps create pure artworks.” — Dorothy Desouzaguedes

“Fowl watching on the lakefront.” — Michael Sewall

“When it’s chilly but sunny.” — Jackie Waldhier

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