The Current State of Our Constitutional Rights in Chicago and Illinois

An interview with Colleen Connell, Executive Director of the ACLU of Illinois

What is the current state of our constitutional rights in Chicago and Illinois? What can concerned citizens do in the current political climate?

Watch as Colleen Connell, Executive Director of ACLU, and Carole Levine, CWTA Board member, collectively examine the expanding federal deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago for immigration enforcement, the heightened role of the ACLU of Illinois in monitoring and challenging these actions, and the legal uncertainties surrounding troop behavior—particularly concerns about warrantless detentions, due-process violations, and the opaque treatment of individuals taken into custody.

They highlighted the fear and vulnerability felt in immigrant communities, whose safety increasingly depends on local networks, legal-aid groups, and rights-education efforts. The questions also point to a widening gap between lower courts, which often uphold constitutional limits on enforcement, and a Supreme Court seen as more deferential to the Trump administration. Finally, they ask what forms of civic resistance remain available to concerned residents and whether Chicago’s experience can guide other cities that may soon face similar federal incursions.