President Trump posted on social media this week that the "Miracle Mile" is "ready to call it quits," sparking a reality check from Chicagoans.

The big picture: The vacancy rate on Michigan Avenue — actually known as the Magnificent Mile — has declined from 34% in 2023 to about 23% currently, according to The Magnificent Mile Association (MMA), and some big tourist attractions have seen lines down the block.

The other side: "Market rents are trending upward for the first time in years. New leases, store openings, and reinvestment continue to bring renewed energy and momentum to the district," MMA's Liz Gilbert told Axios in a statement.

State of play: Spanish retailer Mango is scheduled to open a new shop on the Mile next week, and Japanese retailer Uniqlo next spring, Gilbert said.

Reality check: One retail location just off the Mag Mile that has struggled to find a tenant since it opened 16 years ago is Trump Tower.

Zoom in: Jim Schutter, managing director for Newmark, which recently took over leasing for Trump Tower, says it's in negotiations with a potential tenant.

• "We're viewing this as a really wonderful, outstanding, high-profile real estate, and we're hoping people look at it as an opportunity, regardless of the branding on the building," Schutter said.

Between the lines: The riverfront retail space at Trump Tower is not easily accessible, compared with walking right up to a store or restaurant right on the Mag Mile. Patrons have to weave through a set of stairs on the east side or enter from Wabash.

• Schutter wouldn't speculate about why the space hasn't been leased, but he doesn't think access is the problem, noting that more than a million people walk past it annually and rents check in lower than properties right on the avenue.

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District Judge Jeffrey Cummings yesterday ordered the release of at least 313 people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement between June and early October around Chicago.

Why it matters: The order, in response to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Illinois and the National Immigrant Justice Center, validates some of the recent accusations of ICE violations and could create a template for other legal action across the country.

Driving the news: Cummings has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to immediately release 13 detainees held in other states that the government and plaintiffs agree were detained in violation of the Castañon Nava settlement that prohibits warrantless immigration arrest in Illinois.

• By Friday, DHS must hand over documents showing the status and flight risk of 615 people the plaintiffs suspect ICE arrested in the state without a warrant between June and early October.
• By Nov. 19, DHS must provide an up-to-date list of people Border Patrol and ICE have arrested in Chicago.
• By Nov. 21, DHS must release on bond into a monitoring program at least 313 people whom the plaintiffs suspect were arrested in violation of the agreement and the government deems low risk for flight. They'll remain free on bond until the merits of their cases can be assessed.

What they're saying: "[Wednesday] was a really great day," said ACLU Illinois attorney Michelle Garcia after the hearing.

• "This will allow a lot of people to return to their communities because they never should have been arrested in the first place."

The other side: Lawyers for the government said it will present "a significant challenge" to gather the required documents and have not ruled out appealing the judge's order.

What's next: The first 13 detainees could be released as soon as this week.

Go deeper

Rev. Jesse Jackson was hospitalized last night. The 84-year-old civil rights leader suffers from a rare neurological disease called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. (Axios)

💰 Mayor Brandon Johnson's office is reportedly considering a compromise on the corporate head tax, applying it only to companies with 200 or more employees. (Tribune)

🚉 The CTA board passed next year's budget with no service cuts, fare hikes or layoffs after the Illinois General Assembly voted to fund the transit agency last month. (WTTW)

⭐️ Chicago's fine dining gem Alinea has lost a Michelin star in the upcoming 2025 Michelin Guide. It was originally awarded the prestigious three-star rating in 2010. (Block Club)

Analog photography can be intimidating for someone who's never touched a roll of film or even held a camera, but The Darkroom Chicago is changing that.

Why it matters: When founder Rosondunnii Marshall was looking for a place to develop film a few years ago, she realized Chicago didn't just need more darkrooms, but a space for learning photography at all levels with a welcoming, fun vibe.

Flashback: Marshall, a trained family therapist, was using photography as an art therapy tool with students a few years ago when it re-sparked her own love of analog photography.

• Earlier this year, the Park District reached out to Marshall to offer a space for The Darkroom Chicago.

Context: Tuley Park in Chatham still had equipment from a camera club that used to meet at the field house decades ago, but the space needed someone like Marshall to steward it to what it is today — a full photography studio with a large format printer, scanners and more, all accessible at monthly open lab hours.

What's next

👋 Hey, it's Justin! I've been collecting answers to burning Chicago questions to build an Axios database for an upcoming game show!

• Think Family Feud without the Richard Dawson heavy petting.

This week, I put together five questions on love, sex and romance in Chicago:

Take the survey here.