September 25, 2025/
Illinois in Focus: Candidate urges civil debate around ICE; state spends 43% more; mandatory voting
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop shares comments from Republican gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski, state Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, and Vice President J.D. Vance about public safety around immigration enforcement.
Bishop also delves into recent analysis by The Center Square’s investigative team about the increased state spending of tax dollars under the Pritzker administration and reaction from legislators on both sides of the aisle.
Finally, Bishop shares debate from an Illinois House Ethics and Elections Committee about the ideas around mandatory voting and consolidating local elections.
Subscribe to Illinois in Focus Daily with The Center Square on YouTube. You can also subscribe to the Illinois in Focus podcast to get the entire show uninterrupted.
⚠️ Tornado Watch issued June 17 at 7:49AM CDT until June 17 at 3:00PM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL
⚠️ Wind Advisory issued June 17 at 1:55AM CDT until June 17 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL
Today Jun 16
85° 66°
Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Latest News Stories
Voters to decide two statewide measures, nearly 100 local proposals
By Elyse ApelThe Center Square As Colorado voters prepare for Election Day, they will vote on two statewide ballot measures and nearly 100 local measures across 30 counties. Those measures...
WATCH: Coalition sues to protect student loan forgiveness
By Dave MasonThe Center Square Democratic attorney generals from 22 jurisdictions sued the U.S. Department of Education Monday over its new rule limiting Public Student Loan Forgiveness for government and...
WATCH: California attorney general talks about Prop. 50
By Dave MasonThe Center Square California has nothing to hide. That’s Attorney General Rob Bonta’s response to The Center Square’s question about the U.S. Department of Justice assigning monitors to...
Illinois quick hits: Man charged with threatening Trump; judge grants injunction in shelter funding case
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Man charged with threatening Trump For the second time in less than a week, a person from Illinois has been charged...
WATCH: IL GOP Rep: Sanctuary expansion bill may expose many to civil lawsuits
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois House and Senate leaders are touting legislation they say will protect people from federal immigration enforcement,...
Senators introduce legislation to codify Antifa terror designation
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square More than a month after President Donald Trump designated Antifa a domestic terror organization, a group of senators is proposing legislation to codify the president’s...
DHS proposes billion dollar expanded DNA testing for immigrants
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a multibillion dollar proposal on Monday to increase biometric scanning during the immigration process. The proposal would expand...
Trump administration resumes visa processing despite shutdown
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square After a month of halted operations, the U.S. Department of Labor will begin processing necessary documents for visa and permanent resident applications again. While agencies...
Muslims in Virginia, New York face decades in prison for supporting Houthis, ISIS
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Two cases in Virginia and New York highlight ongoing Islamic terrorist threats at home and abroad, including resulting in the death of two U.S. Navy...
Indian reservation focus of human smuggling probe at U.S.-Canada border
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square An Indian reservation that spans the U.S.-Canada border, including Ontario, Quebec and two upstate New York counties, is the focus of another human smuggling operation....
‘Temporary Band-Aid’: USDA able to cover 50% of November SNAP benefits
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Despite previously denying it had the legal authority to do so, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that it will use emergency funds to...
WATCH: Family, friends remember Bailey family at celebration of life
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Loved ones have paid their respects to members of gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey’s family at a celebration...
Duffy: We are going to go after the CDL mills
By Alan WootenThe Center Square Safety concerns, two triple-fatals involving 18-wheelers and a closer look at commercial driver’s licenses has led the U.S. Department of Transportation to say, “We are...
