At least 20 people were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents yesterday afternoon in the South Loop, advocates say.

• Elected officials and advocates tell Axios the detainees received text messages asking them to check in as part of a federal monitoring program that requires them to wear ankle monitors.

Why it matters: Chicago alders say masked ICE agents did not identify themselves nor inform attorneys why individuals were being detained or where they were going.

The other side: ICE sent a statement to NBC 5 saying the agency had "final orders of removal" signed by a judge for those detained.

• ICE did not respond to Axios' multiple requests for comment.

The big picture: After the people were separated from their lawyers at the 2245 S. Michigan Ave. administrative office, activists called supporters to gather outside the building, leading to clashes between protesters and agents.

What they're saying: "They cannot be operating with that level of secrecy," Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez tells Axios. "These people came in with no identification, pointing guns, wearing masks, shoving people to the ground, without giving any reason for why they were being detained. This was not safe. This was mayhem."

State of play: Chicago police officers were also at the scene, but according to spokesperson Tom Ahern, they were there for crowd control and were not cooperating with ICE.

What's next: Sigcho-Lopez is calling for Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago City Council to hold emergency hearings to investigate how ICE operated yesterday.

• "What we saw today was lawlessness," he said. "They cannot be operating in our city like that."

Go deeper

A training program for recently incarcerated people is using virtual reality to teach job readiness skills.

Why it matters: Statistics show that people recently out of prison have a harder time finding work, which can lead them back to prison, restarting generational cycles of poverty and crime.

• In 2016, 89% of new convictions in Illinois were reoffenders headed back to prison.

The big picture: Teamwork Englewood, a job readiness program focused on reentry, is trying to buck that trend by leaning into virtual reality (VR).

What they're saying: "It's hard for guys to get out of jail and go right into the workforce," Team Englewood's Mark Mitchell tells Axios. "It's almost like the system is designed for them to go back. That's where this technology comes in."

How it works: Participants use VR headsets to simulate real-world jobs at warehouses and construction sites. They learn skills such as using power tools or operating cranes.

• The three-week program includes 19 hours of VR-based training, while also providing mock interviews and resume-building workshops.

Yes, but: It's competitive. On the day Axios visited the office, more than 100 people were there to apply. Fewer than 15 are accepted.

Zoom in: According to Mitchell, the clock is ticking the minute someone gets out of jail, which is why VR technology helps speed up the process.

• "The stats show that work ethic starts to dissipate if unemployment persists beyond 90 days, which is usually how long job training programs are," Mitchell says. "We gotta get them to work faster."

Keep reading

Illinois ranks in the top 5 when it comes to the number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the state, according to the magazine's annual list.

Why it matters: U.S. companies are staying put in Illinois even as Republicans claim Gov. Pritzker and the Democrats are taxing them out of town.

State of play: The $55 billion budget that passed last week didn't hit business as hard as some groups feared.

By the numbers: The state hosts 32 Fortune 500 companies and Chicago is home to 24 of their corporate headquarters.

• Walgreens ranks as Illinois' top-earning company on the list, with nearly $150 billion in revenue last fiscal year.

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🧑‍🏫 CTU is threatening to sue the Chicago Board of Education over the 2026 budget. (Tribune)

🛒 Mayor Johnson wants to continue a grocery store tax next year, even though the state is phasing it out on Jan. 1, 2026. (Block Club)

🗳️ Former Illinois Republican Congressman and Tea Party member Joe Walsh announced he's now a Democrat. (WGN)

If you've always wanted to try one of those cruises where you share a boat with a cool celeb, you may be in luck this summer — for at least a few hours.

What's happening: City Cruise Live kicks off its Chicago series Sunday with a concert cruise featuring Ken Block and Drew Copeland of '90s pop band Sister Hazel.

• Later this season, set sail with "bad boy" golfer John Daly, World Series champs Ozzie Guillen and A.J. Pierzynski, or former Bears Brian Urlacher and Rex Grossman as they swap stories during on-ship interviews.

The prices: Tickets for Sunday's cruise start at $77 without food or drink and go up to $243 for a VIP package with buffet dinner, open bar and Sister Hazel meet and greet.

If you go: The Chicago City Cruise Live series runs June 8 through Nov. 21.

Find out more

👋 Hi, it's Justin. I'm hyped! It must be the coffee from my weekly coffee shop reviews!

This week's place: Sleep Walk Cafe (1844 S. Blue Island Ave.)

The vibe: The colorful interior features just a couple of tables, but many people drink their coffee while walking near 18th Street.

The coffee: Sleepwalk doubles as a chocolatier. I got the super tasty iced agave latte ($5.50), which includes espresso, agave syrup, chocolate and cinnamon.

The service: Insightful. They didn't just sling coffee, they educated me on the coffee.

☕️ 11-word-review: A Pilsen gem that serves up tasty coffee and vibrant views.