Regions

Chicago & the Midwest

All of our content covering Chicago, and also states including Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Upcoming Events

Local Voices, National Debate: How Chicagoland Views Immigration

PAST EVENT VIDEO

Craig Kafura, Michele Kenfack, Beatriz Ponce de León, and Juliana Kerr discuss new Chicago Council survey data on immigration attitudes in the Chicago area and what local opinion tells us about one of America's most debated issues.

Jul 16
People hold signs and flags at a protest opposing "Operation Midway Blitz" and the presence of ICE, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in Chicago.
Erin Hooley / AP

The World at Our Door: Identity, Diaspora, and the Global Conversation

In-Person EVENT

Join the Emerging Leaders community in Pilsen for a tour and discussion at the National Museum of Mexican Art.

Pilsen residents walk in the 2025 Pilsen Mexican Independence Day parade on September 6, 2025.
Carolyn Kaster / AP
Jul
17
View all Upcoming Events related to Chicago & the Midwest

Past Events

Emerging Leaders Program Information Session July 2026

PAST EVENT

Globally minded Chicago-area professionals, ages 30 to 45, are invited to learn more about the Emerging Leaders Program and the benefits to their professional and personal growth.

Jul 1
Emerging Leaders listen in at a Council roundtable.
Ana Miyares Photography

Emerging Leaders Program Information Session June 2026

PAST EVENT

Globally minded Chicago-area professionals, ages 30 to 45, are invited to learn more about the Emerging Leaders Program and the benefits to their professional and personal growth.

Jun 15
Attendees at an Emerging Leaders reception event pose for a photo.
Ana Miyares Photography
View all Past Events related to Chicago & the Midwest

Commentary

How Cover Crops Could Help the Midwestern Agriculture Business

BLOG
ChicagoGlobal by Hope O'Dell

Cover crops help prevent soil erosion and can increase farmers’ yields — but, despite widespread use overseas, they haven’t caught on much yet in the Midwest.

A red barn stands in the background with the green leaves of a corn field in the foreground
Seth Perlman/AP
Food and Agriculture

Q&A: Northwestern's New Global Affairs Chair Says Her Department is All About Connection

BLOG
ChicagoGlobal by Hope O'Dell

In her first year as head of the Buffett Institute, Deborah Cohen talks us through the role of global affairs at Northwestern, in Chicago, and beyond.

Headshot of a woman with curly dark hair and glasses
Becca Heuer
Global Cities
View all Chicago & the Midwest Commentary

Research

Built by Immigrants, Shaped by Immigration

RESEARCH
Public Opinion Survey by Coauthors

Results and analysis of the Council's survey of Chicagoland residents on immigration policies.

blue report cover on a beige background Migration

Majorities in Chicagoland Side with Immigrants and Protesters over ICE

RESEARCH
Public Opinion Survey by Coauthors

In the aftermath of Operation Midway Blitz, residents in Chicago, suburban Cook County, and Lake County say Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions have gone too far.

protesters gather outside an ICE processing facility in the Chicago suburb of Broadview
Nam Y. Huh / AP
Migration
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Experts

Richard C. Longworth 

Distinguished Fellow, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Council expert Richard C. Longworth
Expertise
Europe
Chicago & the Midwest
Global Cities
Global Politics
Phone
(312) 821-7508
View all Chicago & the Midwest Experts