Trump’s DOJ Indicts Illinois Democrats for Protesting ICE and Why Big Law Refuses to Stand Up to MAGA — with Mike Nellis and Rachel Cohen

Endless Urgency is free to read, but we’re hustling to launch our new content studio and pay our new Community Manager a living wage. Paid subscribers make it all possible—just $8/month if you’re down to support 👇

---

Hey folks,

I went live with Rachel Cohen, a Chicago-based attorney and activist who’s been putting her body on the line taking on ICE. This one hit home for both of us — ICE tear-gassing Chicago streets, DOJ indicting Illinois activists and elected officials, and what real solidarity looks like in our city and beyond.

Here’s where to jump in 👇

• [00:04:20] ICE shows up near my son’s school — how neighbors built rapid-response Signal chats, “whistle kits,” and a parents’ safety net overnight.

• [00:10:06] Rachel on Broadview: why an Illinois processing center is being used as detention, what civil disobedience looks like on the ground, and the human conditions inside.

• [00:16:43] The indictments: Kat Abughazaleh and others charged after an ICE blockade — selective prosecution, lawfare, and why Chicago won’t take the bait.

• [00:29:00] Where are the lawyers? Big Law’s retreat from Trump-era challenges and the chilling effect on movement defense — plus why the National Lawyers Guild matters.

• [00:41:00] My immigration framework: secure the border, fast track a humane path to citizenship, crack down on billionaire exploitation, and invest in stability across America.

If this conversation moved you, become a paid subscriber. You’ll help us keep Endless Urgency free, fund our new studio, and power community work that protects our neighbors. Eight bucks a month builds capacity for truth-telling, training, and rapid response — the stuff that actually keeps people safe.

With urgency,

—Mike