Kaitlin Cordes and a group of moms gathered in a Lincoln Park living room last spring to figure out ways to stand up for democracy under what she called “un-American” attacks from President Donald Trump.
Although Trump has scoffed at allegations that he’s a dictator, Cordes worried about his “authoritarian playbook,” including using government powers to seek revenge against perceived political opponents. So, on a kids’ easel, Cordes brainstormed ideas to push back and co-founded Moms for Democracy.
On Tuesday, on the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Cordes and about 150 others gathered downtown in freezing temperatures to continue to “support democracy and resist moves toward authoritarianism.”
“We all want our children to grow up in a thriving democracy. We want our kids to grow up in a place where masked men do not roam the streets with guns,” Cordes told the crowd, who bundled up in big coats and gloves. “Where we have a government that is truly of the people, by the people and for the people.”
At the Federal Plaza rally, protesters carried signs that read “Hands off Chicago” and “Defend Democracy.” They chanted “no hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here” as wind chills dipped below zero throughout the afternoon. Moms for Democracy organized the protest alongside Indivisible Chicago, a progressive activist group.
Hundreds have taken to Chicago’s streets in recent days to protest the Trump administration and its aggressive immigration enforcement in Chicago and Minneapolis, including downtown Monday and at the west suburban Broadview ICE processing center Saturday. Federal agents arrested thousands of immigrants, most of whom didn’t have a criminal record, and repeatedly deployed tear gas and pepper spray during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago.
Protesters march Jan. 20, 2026, around Chicago’s Federal Plaza during a rally to support democracy on the anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune interviewed several Trump voters who have expressed dissatisfaction with aspects of his leadership. A Reuters/Ipsos poll earlier this month showed 42% of Americans approved of Trump’s job overall.
Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois secretary of state and a likely candidate for Chicago mayor, said never in his “wildest dreams” did he anticipate the “damage (Trump) would do to our democracy.”
“Both my parents came to this country as immigrants, and when they came here, they had nothing, but they believed in the promise of America — that if you’re willing to work hard, if you’re willing to sacrifice and struggle, regardless of what your last name is or what you look like, that you have a shot in this country,” Giannoulias said.
“That is what has always made us the greatest country in the world, and to see the destruction of ICE and the Trump administration is absolutely unacceptable, so we will fight back,” he continued.
He cited a recent lawsuit from the state of Illinois and city of Chicago against the Trump administration as an example of local politicians willing to fight back. The suit seeks to bar agents from using tear gas without sufficient warning and making warrantless arrests.
Colleen Connell, executive director of the ACLU of Illinois, also encouraged members of Congress to reject a government funding bill if it doesn’t include policies to curtail federal immigration agents.
Congress will consider a routine annual funding package for the Department of Homeland Security unveiled Tuesday, or risk a partial shutdown Jan. 30. A growing group of Democratic senators and the Congressional Progressive Caucus say they won’t support additional funds without significant changes.
“Ultimately, we cannot rely on the courts alone to save us,” Connell said. “It is up to we the people to resist, to speak the truth, and we need to start by speaking the truth to our members of Congress.”
For Regan Lachapelle, the other co-founder of Moms for Democracy, the U.S. is a “beacon for democracy” internationally, and that if democracy slips in this country it will weaken everywhere. She also wants to show her two children that democracy is a value they should protect.
“Authoritarians use chaos to confuse, to make us feel scared, to keep us silent. They want you to feel like there’s nothing you can do,” said Lachapelle, of Lincoln Park. “They do this because they know that they are the ones that don’t have the power.”
The Associated Press contributed.