North Cook News

Illinois State Senate District 9 candidate Patrick Hanley is facing criticism after posting a video on social media that opponents say encourages harassment of federal immigration agents and could endanger public safety.  

In the video, Hanley, a former campaign staffer to President Barack Obama, reveals the hotel location where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are staying near the Wilmette-Skokie border and encourages viewers to call the business and express their disapproval.

“It would be a real shame if folks knew that and if they called [hotel name redacted], tell them how they feel about rogue federal agents staying in their neighborhoods,” Hanley said in a video posted to X. 

“Whether that might make them feel uncomfortable, you know, there's some worry about racial profiling and aggression by federal agents. So definitely don't call this number right here, because if they got enough phone calls from angry enough people, I mean the Residence Inn, let alone Marriott Corporate, might reconsider whether or not they let government agents stay there in the future. And what a terrible, what a terrible thing that would be. So don't call this number. But do save this number.”

Hanley, a Democrat from Evanston, is slated to run in the March 17, 2026 primary for Illinois State Senate District 9 against fellow Democrat Rachel Ruttenberg.

Hanley and Ruttenberg are vying for State Sen. Laura Fine's (D-Glenview) seat, with Fine running for Congress.

Accordijng to LinkedIn, Hanley has worked for notable organizations including McKinsey & Company, the City of Chicago Treasurer’s Office, TAG Capital, The Asia Group, served as a fellow in the United States Senate and was a Regional Field Director for the Obama for America campaign.

Hanley's now-viral video, originally posted on X, has drawn criticism from conservatives on social media for pulling a reckless political stunt, "doxxing" federal agents amid rising violence against law enforcement in Illinois.

“In short, the Winnetka Environmentalist is a privileged liberal who has no idea how the real world works,” John Foley, Deputy GOP Committeeman for the Evanston Republican Organization, told North Cook News. 

He says Hanley is “out of touch” with the realities facing working-class neighborhoods.

“Interesting that a Winnetka Environmentalist (quote from the Daily Northwestern describing Patrick Hanley) and a candidate for Illinois Senate would show such a lack of concern for the safety of communities in his district,” Foley said. “Being that he is a Winnetka environmentalist, he is very likely unaware of the pitfalls of having pedophiles, drug dealing, and human smugglers as neighbors.”

Libs of TikTok noted Hanley’s behavior in a post on X. 

“BREAKING: Patrick Hanley, a Democrat running for Illinois State Senate, posted a video DOXING the live locations of ICE agents and encouraging people to call and HARRASS the hotel they're staying at,” Libs of TikTok said on X. 

“This Democrat is putting ICE agents' lives at risk while protecting criminal illegals.” 

Attacks on ICE agents have greatly increased during Operation Midway Blitz, a DHS crackdown on criminal illegal aliens in the Chicago area, which has led to over 1,500 arrests, including gang members, pedophiles and a convicted rapist from El Salvador.

One high-profile arrest includes Elias Cepeda, a Chicago rioter with alleged Antifa ties, found armed near an ICE facility.

DHS reports a 1,000% spike in assaults on agents since the operation began and has deployed special ops teams, pledging aggressive prosecutions.

Hanley’s video has sparked questions about whether it violates Illinois’ newly enacted civil anti-doxxing law, which was signed into law in 2023. 

In the video, he provided tips for leftists on how to deal with ICE. 

“If you see something happening in Wilmette in our communities, make sure to give them a call, take out your phone, take video,” he said. 

“Horizontal actually is better than vertical because you can see more stuff, and make sure to document everything that you are seeing. Also, our food pantries, our mutual aid organizations, our social services organizations are getting hit really hard right now. So if you have groceries at home that you can share, or if you can go pick up some non-perishables from the store, drop them off the Niles, New Trier, Northfield food pantries, all of which need the extra support, as well as community fridges in Evanston. Let's all do our part, let's keep our eyes peeled. And if that means making a phone call to [hotel name redacted], I can't stop you.”

Foley says Hanley’s priorities are misguided, likening him to Nero, the infamous Roman emperor rumored to have “fiddled while Rome burned.” 

Nero’s reign was defined by extravagance, corruption, and tyranny.

“The Winnetka Environmentalist doesn’t seem to be concerned about the lack of business formation in Illinois, the flow of capital out of Illinois, the safety of our communities, or the Democracy suppression of voters via the worst in the country gerrymandering residents of Illinois endure,” Foley said. “The Winnetka Environmentalist is fiddling while Illinois is burning.”