A winter storm system swept across much of the United States this week. Chicago saw more snow and frigid temperatures — all normal January fare — but the East Coast and the South were hit with ice, snowstorms and a prolonged freeze, leaving nearly 90 dead and thousands without power.
Yet, the bitter cold didn’t deter Minnesotans from taking to the streets after a second fatal shooting at the hands of federal immigration officers in their state. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents on a commercial street in south Minneapolis on Saturday. The two officers who shot Pretti were placed on leave, and on Friday, federal officials announced that the Justice Department had opened a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting.
Pretti’s killing prompted outrage from celebrities, public officials and everyday Americans, as backlash grows against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. In Chicago, thousands marched downtown Sunday in flurries and freezing temps to protest the ongoing violence in Minneapolis, a group of nurses held a candlelight vigil in Pretti’s memory outside the local VA center and Mayor Brandon Johnson joined the chorus of voices calling to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Later in the week, Johnson traveled to Washington D.C., to participate in an annual gathering of U.S. mayors. While there, Chicago’s mayor said the city was moving to prosecute Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino for his actions during Operation Midway Blitz. Following Saturday’s shooting, Bovino left Minnesota, and Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, is now overseeing immigration enforcement efforts in the state.
With January winding down, Illinois’ March primary election is quickly approaching. In two debates this week, the Democratic hopefuls for U.S. Senate argued why they would be best equipped to take on the Trump administration if elected. While all denounced the president’s mass deportation campaign, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton separated herself from the rest of the field as the sole candidate to endorse abolishing ICE. Southwest Side Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, meanwhile, threw his hat into the race to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, and two candidates running for U.S. House in Illinois’ 8th Congressional District duked it out in dueling ad campaigns.
In other news, a federal judge ruled that Cook County misspent upwards of $243 million in transportation tax revenues, new SNAP work requirements could leave hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents without benefits, and the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy convicted of killing Sonya Massey was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Plus, the Super Bowl matchup is set. The New England Patriots and second-year quarterback Drake Maye will take on the Seattle Seahawks led by veteran Sam Darnold. The big game kicks off on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. But before that, the Winter Olympics will commence on Feb. 6. The U.S. announced Tuesday it was going to send ICE officers as part of its security detail, which caused confusion and frustration in Italy.
At the end of the week, Catherine O’Hara, a gifted comedic actress known for her roles in “Home Alone,” “Schitt’s Creek” and more, died at 71 following a brief illness. And officials throughout Cook County remembered Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark after the news of his sudden passing. The details surrounding his death have not been released.
Without further ado, here’s the Tribune’s Quotes of the Week quiz, from Jan. 25 to 31. Missed last week? You can find it here or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week.