Interview conducted at Chicago City Hall | Reporting from Little Village
In this interview, I speak with Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) at Chicago City Hall about a sequence of events that unfolded over two consecutive days in Chicago, beginning with federal immigration enforcement activity and followed by a public political confrontation involving state and city leadership.
On November 8, GrayStak Media was on the ground in Little Village during federal immigration enforcement operations. Alderman Sigcho-Lopez was also present, observing activity as it unfolded. The Department of Homeland Security later released a statement describing what it characterized as violent incidents directed at federal agents during those operations. In the first part of this interview, Sigcho-Lopez discusses what he personally observed on the ground, how residents experienced the enforcement activity, and why he believes there is a growing disconnect between federal narratives and local realities.
Less than 24 hours later, those tensions surfaced publicly. Sigcho-Lopez recounts a confrontation at a press conference in Little Village involving Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Alderman Michael Rodriguez (22nd Ward). In this segment, he explains why he confronted the governor, how the exchange escalated, and what the moment revealed about deeper fractures within Democratic leadership over immigration, taxation, and accountability.
The interview concludes with video footage captured by GrayStak Media on the ground, providing visual context to the enforcement activity discussed earlier. This reporting reflects GrayStak’s role not only in documenting political response, but in witnessing events as they occurred.
