Brian Dolinar

The Limits Of Sanctuary Laws In Illinois The only “crime” Mary committed was trying to provide her children with a better future.

“My ‘crime’ is leaving my country, Honduras, to be able to give a better life to my children and my parents,” Mary wrote.

Read more at my Substack:

briandolinar.substack.com/p/the-limits...

Thanks @adamjst.bsky.social and keep up the great research! BD

Champaign’s attempt to criminalize homelessness fails after swift public outcry - Opinion On December 2, 2025, after two and a half hours of public comment from some 40 community members, Champaign city council voted 9-0 against an ordinance banning public camping, with Mayor Deb Feinen ad...

On gentrification and Trump-type anti-homeless types in Champaign. BD

www.smilepolitely.com/opinion/cham...

What I’ve Been Reading: Hip Hop History Lessons My winter hibernation reading list.

Read about what I've been reading about. BD

"For me Tupac’s life is a story about the arc of Black revolution from the 1960s to the present."

briandolinar.substack.com/p/what-ive-b...

Fun With FOIAs! An Update On My Ongoing Investigations The Midwest is my beat. Support independent journalism.

An update on my many outstanding FOIAs and ideas for #2026 BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/fun-with-f...

My latest for Truthout on local organizers resisting ICE #chingalamigra BD

Crushing ICE: Champaign-Urbana Shuts Down AT&T For A Day Champaign-Urbana participated in a statewide protest on Sunday, November 16, to expose AT&T which is providing the digital infrastructure for Trump’s deportation machine.

Watch a four-minute video of our AT&T rally in Champaign #AbolishICE BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/crushing-i...

Guatemalan Man at the Center of Trump’s “Midway Blitz” Sentenced A 30-year sentence for Julio Cucul-Bol but pro-Trump father says it’s not enough

My write up on Julio Cucul-Bol's sentencing, political pawns, and cats. BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/guatemalan...

Going to Court for Freedom My first trip to the Cook County Criminal Courts building

Going to the courthouse is always a learning experience. Read about my friend Shonda who was in court in Cook County this week. BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/going-to-c...

Wanted: Immigration Detainers Sent to the Champaign County jail A records requests produced a list of 29 local immigrants under the threat of arrest.

Through a FOIA request, I obtained 29 immigration detainers sent to the Champaign County jail. Read more at my Substack. BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/wanted-imm...

Stories from the C-U Immigrant Community Collected by my neighbor Greg Springer, I'm publishing the stories here.

Read immigrant stories unique to those living in Champaign-Urbana. Thanks to my neighbor Greg Springer for sharing. BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/stories-fr...

Survival and Resilience Some updates of local immigration defense work

Trump's "Midway Blitz is connected to my hometown Urbana, and some more updates at my recent Substack. BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/survival-a...

Digging Up the History of My Immigrant Family The search for my great-uncle who died in the coal mines of Southeast Kansas.

I went on a road trip to find my lost great-uncle who died in the coal mines of SE Kansas. Read more at my Substack! BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/digging-up...

Stateville Speaks on Fighting Fascism We asked those on the inside about how to resist the growing repression.

Read the new issue of Stateville Speaks! BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/stateville...

A Fight Is Brewing in the Midwest Over Immigrant Mass Detention As ICE expands its presence across the Midwest, activists fight the reopening of private prisons to jail migrants.

Check out my article mapping ICE detention & resistance in the Midwest for @truthout.org @silkys13.bsky.social #AbolishICE BD

truthout.org/articles/a-f...

ICE Strikes in East Urbana Roofing crew disappeared with barely a trace

ICE picked up a roofing crew last week in Urbana. Here's what I was able to find out #AbolishICE BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/ice-strike...

Abolish ICE and Unbuilding Walls What I've been doing when I'm not playing Soccer Dad

Read my latest Substack! BD briandolinar.substack.com/p/abolish-ic...

Fish In A Barrel: Four Feds Arrest Two Men at Traffic Court ICE arrests resume at the courthouse

Those of us on the right side of history must say no deportations no matter what #abolition BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/fish-in-a-...

Cellebrite and Celebrations Urbana votes for police accountability

The back story to my Cellebrite article. And some reflections on Urbana's election yesterday. BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/cellebrite...

My latest w/ Tara Goodarzi #freepalestine #stoppolicespying BD

Trump's ICE Agents Arrest Garbage Worker in CU ICE has arrived in town, as I confirm in this story.

This week I confirmed ICE was in CU. Sign up for my Substack for more reports. BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/trumps-ice...

Look At All These Rumors: ICE Everywhere and Nowhere Threats of ICE raids have yet to materialize.

Where's Waldo? Read more at my Substack, "Sentences." BD

Free Speech Hearing for Palestinian Student Facing Mob Action Charges Yafa Issa, 18-year-old leader in UIUC Students for Justice in Palestine, takes the stand.

ICYMI - my update on the 1st Amend. hearing for Yafa Issa, U of Illinois student facing mob action charges.

Judge Webber will give his ruling on Friday, Jan. 24, at 3:30pm in Courtroom A.

briandolinar.substack.com/p/free-speec...

Champaign-Urbana police departments won't work with ICE as per state law - IPM Newsroom Local police chiefs in Champaign-Urbana say they won't be collaborating with federal immigration agents.

"According to longtime activist and community journalist Brian Dolinar, a previous Urbana police chief helped him confirm whether a deportation had taken place, and he and other advocates would let family members know."

ipmnewsroom.org/champaign-ur...

Free Speech Hearing for Palestinian Student Facing Mob Action Charges Yafa Issa, 18-year-old leader in UIUC Students for Justice in Palestine, takes the stand.

A majority of the people in the courtroom were from the local Muslim community. Watching the prosecutor try to get the 18-year-old young woman indict herself on the stand, as a courtroom of Muslim friends and family members looked on, was bad optics.

Support Sentences: Reporting What Happens Behind Closed Cell Doors George Christopher found dead in Champaign County jail after suffering a stroke

Champaign County has had three people die at the jail in the last three years. I found out about the latest death in a state report. But what's the point of having state reports, if nobody is reporting about them?!

Read more at my Substack.

briandolinar.substack.com/p/support-se...

Urbana City Council tables measure that would require approval for police surveillance technology - IPM Newsroom Officials in Urbana have tabled an ordinance that would require the city’s police department to seek approval before purchasing and using surveillance technology, including license plate readers, faci...

“As Muslims, that’s a really important issue for our community,” Sana Saboowala said in an interview. “Since 9/11, Muslim communities have been policed all over the nation, and a lot of the surveillance laws that have been put in place on the national level have been targeting Muslims."

Stateville Speaks on So-Called “Closure” of Illinois Prisons This 20-year prison publication showcases voices from the inside.

Read about the new issue of Stateville Speaks on my Substack! Happy to be working on this 20 year prison publication with @mayaschenwar.bsky.social and others! BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/stateville...

Thanks @truthout.org for coving the mob action charges. BD

Coming Home: My Summer Trip to Slovenia The journey to find my grandpa’s favorite dessert.

A personal story about digging up my family history. BD

briandolinar.substack.com/p/coming-hom...