Local News for Will County, Joliet, New Lenox, Manhattan, Wilmington, Peotone, Beecher, Elwood, and Frankfort Illinois. All Photos Copyright, All Rights Reserved, Unless Otherwise Noted. Email requests for use with attribution to willcountynews@gmail.com.
Joliet Immigrant Detention Center Public Forum
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By Ann Baskerville
JOLIET--Hundreds packed the Our Lady of Mount Caramel Parish Hall on Joliet's East Side tonight to begin organizing efforts against a possible immigrant detention center in Joliet, Illinois.
Town Hall Meeting on the Joliet Immigrant Prison
A priest and a representative from the Diocese of Joliet quoted scripture while citizens who organized a successful campaign against a private, for-profit immigrant detention center in Crete, Illinois told the crowd, "We are with you" and "Si, se puede" to a standing ovation.
Signs against the Crete and Joliet Immigrant Detention Centers
Pastor Craig Purchase spoke out against an immigrant detention center, saying: "we in the black community should not tolerate this issue." Purchase said at one point he did not hold the position he had now because he had not yet put himself in the shoes of an undocumented person. Purchase said when you really understand this issue, it's a "no brainer." Purchase went on to say we live in a society where African-Americans and whites have been told the "brown people are taking your jobs," but really, "our jobs are in China":
A woman discusses her experience in a Detention Center and the stress that experience placed on her children:
For results in the April 1, 2025 election in Lockport, Illinois, go to the Will County Clerk's page here and scroll down to the Lockport section. Remember that election night results are unofficial and will not include all mailed and provisional ballots.
The Gotion Battery plant in Manteno, Illinois played a role in the Village's April 1, 2025 election. Several candidates opposed to the lithium battery plant under construction at the old Kmart warehouse in Manteno ran for elected office as part of the Freedom Party. According to unofficial results from the Kankakee County Clerk, the Freedom Party candidates are leading for the offices of Village President and Village Clerk, although there are many outstanding mail ballots and all results are unofficial until the County Clerk counts all mailed and provisional ballots.
NASCAR announced on August 20, 2025 that racing will return to Joliet's Chicagoland Speedway in 2026. The NASCAR cup series is scheduled to race in Joliet on July 5, 2026. The last NASCAR race in Joliet was in 2019. View of Chicagoland Speedway in 2011:
