Jason Meisner

Jason Meisner has covered the federal courts beat since 2013, writing about political corruption, terrorism and gang racketeering. In 2018, he was part of the Tribune's award-winning team covering the historic murder trial of Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke.

Streeterville man charged with threatening online to ‘shoot up’ synagogue

March 23, 2026 at 6:02 p.m.

A financial analyst from Chicago has been hit with federal charges alleging he threatened on social media to "shoot up a synagogue" and posted the purported U.S. addresses of relatives...

Congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, center left, Joselyn Walsh, center right, and Andre Martin, center, leave the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Feb. 26, 2026, after a hearing in the “Broadview Six” conspiracy case. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Attorneys in ‘Broadview Six’ case say conspiracy charges violates First Amendment, has ‘chilling’ effect

March 16, 2026 at 5:39 p.m.

Lawyers in the case against immigration protesters in Broadview say it criminalizes First Amendment rights to speech and assembly and creates a "chilling" effect on the public.

Congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, center, and her deputy campaign manager, Andre Martin, far left, leave with their attorneys from the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in the Loop on Jan. 28, 2026, after a hearing on charges of conspiracy during a protest outside the Broadview ICE facility in September. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

‘Broadview Six’ attorneys seek White House communications to explore potential Trump administration influence on charges

March 18, 2026 at 11:06 a.m.

Lawyers in the "Broadview Six" conspiracy case are demanding communications from top Trump administration officials that could show an effort to influence the bringing of charges in Chicago.

Joselyn Walsh leaves Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Feb. 26, 2026, after a hearing in the “Broadview Six” conspiracy case. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Feds drop charges against 2 of the ‘Broadview Six’ immigration protesters

March 12, 2026 at 8:07 p.m.

Chicago's top federal prosecutor on Thursday abruptly moved to drop charges against two defendants in the politically charged “Broadview Six” case.

Pedestrians pass the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on Jan. 22, 2018.

‘Most stupid fraud in history’: Suburban man gets 10 years in prison for $14M fraud tied to COVID-19 loans

March 11, 2026 at 1:46 p.m.

A south suburban man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison Tuesday in a massive, $14 million fraud scheme where he collected kickbacks for filing more than 1,500 bogus...

The Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

Another Operation Midway Blitz defendant gets a deferred prosecution deal

March 10, 2026 at 3:54 p.m.

Federal prosecutors on Tuesday entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with a 19-year-old man accused of assaulting a deputy U.S. marshal during a traffic stop in suburban Hazel Crest last...

Libertyville man accused of sending threatening letters to Trump-appointed judges

March 10, 2026 at 12:49 p.m.

A north suburban man is facing federal charges after allegedly sending letters to district court judges in Texas and Florida.

Federal agents use tear gas and smoke on community members and activists while they protest near the 3900 block of South Kedzie Avenue on Oct. 4, 2025, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago appeals court vacates judge’s use-of-force injunction on immigration agents

March 6, 2026 at 5:37 p.m.

A Chicago federal appeals court on Thursday vacated a lower court's injunction placing use-of-force restrictions on immigration agents during Operation Midway Blitz, calling it "constitutionally suspect" and questioning the manner...

From left, Javier Ramirez and Leonardo Garcia Venegas, U.S. citizens who were detained by ICE, and Marimar Martinez, a U.S. citizen who was shot five times by U.S. Border Patrol, stand as Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 3, 2026, in Washington. The Department of Homeland Security has faced criticism over its handling of immigration enforcement leaving the department unfunded. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem declines to address Marimar Martinez, tells Senate panel she’s ‘not familiar’ with her shooting

March 3, 2026 at 3:56 p.m.

With Marimar Martinez standing directly behind her, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that she was not "familiar with the details"...

Reputed Sinaloa cartel security boss charged in Chicago with helping smuggling narcotics

March 2, 2026 at 3:26 p.m.

A reputed high-ranking member of the Sinaloa drug cartel has been indicted on federal charges in Chicago alleging he ran security and helped the sons of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman-Loera...

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