Illinois in focus: DHS announces new facility; NFIB urges veto of regulations; minority scholarship lawsuit moves forward

August 8, 2025/

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

DHS announces new facility

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has returned to Illinois to discuss expanding detention facilities for what she calls “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens” arrested under the leadership of President Donald Trump.

Noem’s stop in a Chicago suburb follows her visit to Springfield in May.

NFIB urges veto of business regulations

Illinois’ largest small-business advocacy organization is urging Gov. J.B. Pritzker to veto Senate Bill 1976.

In a letter to the governor, the National Federation of Independent Business said the measure would lead to a divergence between state and federal regulations, prevent regulatory relief from red tape and expose small businesses to additional lawsuits.

Minority scholarship lawsuit moves forward

A federal court case challenging the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program is moving forward.

This week, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois denied the state’s motion to dismiss American Alliance for Equal Rights v. Pritzker.

According to the Pacific Legal Foundation, the program awards taxpayer-funded college scholarships to aspiring teachers only if they are members of a racial minority.

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