South Bend Common Council (Official Photo) If a law exists, it either applies or it does not. Mayor James Mueller described the City’s view of compliance in a televised WSBT interview when asked whether South Bend would follow federal immigration law. “We’re a nation of laws. We’re a city of laws and a county of laws. And we abide by all state, federal laws.”“We may not agree with every law that’s on the books, but if you don’t agree with it, you got to change it through the

South Bend Police Department (Photo: https://police.southbendin.gov/ ) Logan Foster | Redress South Bend Feb 02, 2026 On January 23, 2026, South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski announced his candidacy for St. Joseph County sheriff. When asked whether transparency would be a priority if elected, he was unequivocal. “Absolutely,”  Ruszkowski said. “That would be one of the things that I tend to carry over, the transparency component. They’re paying for this. They need to see

Aerial view of downtown South Bend. Photo by Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock Logan Foster | Redress South Bend Jan 29, 2026 The most revealing thing an elected official can do is show which places they no longer believe are worth the effort. That realization rarely comes from a council vote or a policy disagreement. More often, it comes from language, from the way an official explains what deserves attention and what does not. That moment came during a conversation my wife and I h

Photo by John Gress Media Inc via Shutterstock By Sarah Fishburn | Redress South Bend Jan 28, 2026 In an exclusive interview with the  South Bend Tribune  last week , former Mayor Pete Buttigieg offered a simple definition of democracy: “All of us should want to live in a system where our leaders have to listen to us, and that’s called democracy.” It was a powerful reminder of what South Bend once aspired to be. It was also an indictment of what South Bend is rapidly becoming

Clay High School (Sarah Fishburn/Redress South Bend) By Rexroth E. F. Washington | Guest Columnist Jan. 26, 2026 South Bend is diverting about $50 million a year in property tax revenue into redevelopment accounts. At the same time, the community is told there are not enough bus drivers, that facilities need repairs, and that state legislators recently threatened to take over the South Bend School Board's governing role.  Teachers are told there is no room for raises. Parent

By Logan Foster | Redress South Bend Jan. 26, 2026 On Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, South Bend Councilwoman Karen L. White posted a professionally designed graphic honoring Dr. King’s legacy. The image featured iconic photographs of King, quotations about justice and courage and, conspicuously, her own portrait, name and official title. If the graphic was meant as a tribute to Dr. King, it landed as something else. Karen White’s MLK Day 2026 social media graphic featu

By Logan Foster | Redress South Ben d January 25, 2026 Email screenshot showing the subject line “ICE murders another U.S. citizen,” sent by Don Westerhausen at 5:07 p.m. Eastern Time on Jan. 24, 2026. Seven hours after Alex Pretti was shot and killed by a federal agent in Minneapolis, Don Westerhausen sent an email to his supporters. The subject line read: “ICE murders another U.S. citizen.” At the time the message was sent, the shooting was under active investigation and no

Photo courtesy of Brian Collier. Pictured: South Bend Common Council members and Mayor Mueller's senior executive staff seated together at Manny’s Sports Bar on January 5, 2026, minutes after the council’s organizational meeting. By Logan Foster | Redress South Bend January 21, 2026 South Bend’s elected officials are not even pretending anymore. At 6:00 p.m. on Monday, January 5th, 2026, the South Bend Common Council held its annual organizational meeting. The published agend