<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default"><p class="gmail-m8794160044709306455msonospacing" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"><img src="cid:ii_meyfhs1j0" alt="image.jpeg" width="116" height="55"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"></span></b></p><p class="gmail-m8794160044709306455msonospacing" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,112,192)"><a href="http://aclu-cu.org">aclu-cu.org</a></span></b></p><p class="gmail-m8794160044709306455msonospacing" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)">August 30, 2025</span></b></p><p class="gmail-m8794160044709306455msonospacing" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,112,192)"> </span></b></p><p class="gmail-m8794160044709306455msonospacing" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,112,192)">DEAR ACLU FRIENDS,</span></b></p><p class="gmail-m8794160044709306455msonospacing" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></b></p><p class="gmail-m8794160044709306455msonospacing" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)">In recent days, President Trump and other Administration officials have publicly claimed that they plan to send federal forces, perhaps including military personnel and federalized National Guard, into Chicago. The White House has confirmed that they will send a “strike team” of ICE agents into the city to step up civil federal immigration enforcement.</span></p><p class="gmail-m8794160044709306455msonospacing" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in 0in 15pt;line-height:normal;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(66,58,56)">We know that many of you have questions about these threats. Please join us on September 3rd at a Virtual Town Hall to hear about what we expect to see in Chicago and what you should know about this development.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in 0in 15pt;line-height:normal;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span class="gmail-apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-size:auto;background-repeat:repeat;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box"> </span></span><b><span style="font-size:16pt"><a href="https://action.aclu.org/event/federal-forces-chicago-abuse-power-town-hall" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(149,79,114)"><span style="color:rgb(17,85,204)">RSVP here</span></a></span></b><b><span style="font-size:16pt;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-size:auto;background-repeat:repeat;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">. </span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:normal;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,112,192)">Federal Forces in Chicago: An Abuse of Power Town Hall</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in 0in 15pt;line-height:normal;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(66,58,56)">Wednesday, September 3rd at 12:00 PM CT.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in 0in 15pt;line-height:normal;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(66,58,56)">There is no emergency in Chicago that warrants sending federal forces, including National Guard troops, to our streets. This action would undoubtedly put residents of Chicago at risk of being harassed or harmed by federal forces. This abuse of power is not meant to make Chicago any safer, it is simply designed to create fear in our communities. The ACLU stands ready to hold these forces accountable if they seek to block peaceful protest and the free press, engage in racial profiling, or use excessive force.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in 0in 15pt;line-height:normal;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(66,58,56)">And keep in mind and share:</span></b><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:11pt"> </span></p><p class="gmail-m-1654742442018781609msonospacing" style="font-size:12pt;margin:0in 0in 0in 0.5in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal">      <span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There is no emergency to justify sending federal forces to Chicago – none. This is not about an emergency of public safety; this action is a reflection of Donald Trump’s authoritarian impulses and his desire to use force to make people bend to his will.<span class="gmail-apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="gmail-m-1654742442018781609msonospacing" style="font-size:12pt;margin:0in 0in 0in 0.5in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span class="gmail-apple-converted-space"><br></span></span></p><p class="gmail-m-1654742442018781609msonospacing" style="font-size:12pt;margin:0in 0in 0in 0.5in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span class="gmail-apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal">      <span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The presence of heavily-armed, often-masked forces on Chicago’s streets will only make things worse. It will make people more afraid. It also runs the risk of confrontations where officers and residents could be hurt.<span class="gmail-apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="gmail-m-1654742442018781609msonospacing" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in 0in 0in 0.5in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p><p class="gmail-m-1654742442018781609msonospacing" style="font-size:12pt;margin:0in 0in 0in 0.5in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal">      <span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ACLU of Illinois will hold these forces accountable for their actions. We will challenge the use of force to disrupt peaceful protests and news gathering, protected under the First Amendment. We will not permit ICE officers to engage in widespread racial profiling as part of federal civil immigration enforcement. And we will challenge any excessive force used by these forces. </span></p><p class="gmail-m-1654742442018781609msonospacing" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,112,192)"></span></p><p class="gmail-m-1654742442018781609msonospacing" style="margin:0in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,112,192)"><span style="color:rgb(0,112,192);font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><font size="4">R<a href="https://www.aclu-il.org/en/know-your-rights-federal-forces-being-sent-chicago" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(149,79,114)">esources and know your rights materials on the deployment</a> here.</font></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,112,192)"></span></p><p class="gmail-m-1654742442018781609msonospacing" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:18.4px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font size="4"><span style="color:rgb(0,112,192)"><a href="https://action.aclu.org/event/federal-forces-chicago-abuse-power-town-hall" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(149,79,114)"><span style="line-height:16.866667px;color:rgb(0,112,192)">RSVP here</span></a></span><span style="line-height:16.866667px;color:rgb(0,112,192);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-size:auto;background-repeat:repeat;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span>for the Virtual Town Hall September 3rd.</span></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:18.4px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:16.866667px;color:rgb(0,112,192);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-size:auto;background-repeat:repeat;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:18.4px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:16.866667px;color:rgb(0,112,192);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-size:auto;background-repeat:repeat;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box"><b>Thanks for supporting ACLU of Champaign County! Together, we stand stronger!</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:medium;margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:18.4px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:16.866667px;color:rgb(0,112,192);background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-size:auto;background-repeat:repeat;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box">To unsubscribe from these emails, write<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:info@aclu-cu.org" style="color:rgb(149,79,114)">info@aclu-cu.org</a><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span>with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="color:rgb(0,112,192)"></span></p></div></div>