Overview

• In a CNN interview at Chicago’s rally, Cusack called Trump an authoritarian and accused his administration of deploying “masked goons” who are “abducting people.”
• Organizers reported more than 2,600 coordinated demonstrations across the United States and overseas, with actions framed as a defense of democratic norms.
• Videos of Cusack’s comments spread widely on social media, elevating Chicago’s role as a focal point of opposition to federal immigration operations.
• The protests unfolded during a continuing federal government shutdown and alongside broader enforcement actions that include National Guard deployments to Chicago and Los Angeles.
• News outlets reported that Trump has sought Supreme Court permission to send troops to Chicago to protect federal immigration personnel, a move city leaders say is unnecessary.