>> Hello and thanks for joining us on Chicago tonight.

I'm Nick Blumberg.

Brandis Friedman is on assignment.

Here's what we're looking at.

President Trump is replacing Christine known as the head of Homeland Security after calls for her ouster.

What that means for the embattled agency going forward and the funding shut down.

How the South side's only trauma center is affecting emergency care for residents.

>> It's about.

>> Not letting anyone go unaccounted for.

>> And they search formal battlefields across the world.

How a local university is part of an effort to bring home fallen soldiers.

>> First off tonight, Christie Noem is out.

President Donald Trump today announced on truth Social.

He's replacing the embattled homeland Security secretary with Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin at the end of the month, the president says no will instead serve as a special envoy for the so-called Shield of the Americas.

A new western Hemisphere Security initiative.

The announcement comes after 2 days of heated congressional oversight hearings in which known faced sharp questions from Democrats and Republicans alike about her conduct.

A secretary.

>> What we've seen is a disaster under your leadership must a disaster.

What we've saying as innocent people getting detained that turnout or American citizens.

I could talk about the culture that's been created here.

I don't know that.

We'll have you to respond because I've given you a performance evaluation here.

I'm not looking for a response.

>> Joining us now is Congresswoman D'elia Ramirez, a Democrat representing parts of Chicago's West side.

We also invited Republican Congress members, Mike Bost and Darin LaHood of Illinois.

But they either declined or did not respond.

But Representative Ramirez, thank you very much for joining us.

I'd like to begin by just asking your reaction to Trump moving on from as DHS secretary.

>> my first reaction when I got off a reporter after caucus less about time, we have been calling for her to step down or to get fired in my case since April of last year by April last year has seen enough.

And I know that she knew that too, either quit or get fired by president or begin the process in Congress to impeach or some that she's stepping down.

I don't think she should ever serve in public office again.

And so we sent you have to make sure that we continue the articles of impeachment.

That would actually, in fact, make it impossible for her to ever serve whether made up positions.

Special envoy, Western Hemisphere, should the Americas, whatever the heck that he tries to send her to face should never be in public office.

But today was a went.

If you wish to Kabul who have been demanding she step down that been watching.

What she's done is recorded what done.

But we're not done yet.

>> Well, and, you know, you mentioned this special envoy role for Shield of the Americas.

Do you have any sense of what exactly that entails?

Is this a reassignment or was was she fired?

>> Well, look, he's gonna call the present, going to call it a reassignment to save face.

But I didn't think the president knows what this position as if you saw when you look that has to be said that on Saturday he'll get more information on That's because the making of some fake position for And unfortunately they're going to continue to use public tax dollars to fund her.

She couldn't protect the home that here in interior.

Do we think that she's going to be able to do it for the entire Western Hemisphere on behalf of the country.

Absolutely not.

>> You mentioned the impact of DHS and its crackdown here in Chicago during her testimony Tuesday know was asked about Mr.

Martinez, who, of course, is the Chicago woman, federal immigration agents shot in October.

Let's watch a bit of that testimony.

>> I don't know why you can join me in saying it was wrong to shoot Miramar almost caused her death.

And then brag about wouldn't you agree to it with me that it was wrong?

>> the way that you up or traded to, it appears to be.

But I let me look into the case.

I could speak to the specifics of it.

>> Congressman, what was your reaction to Noem's response essentially saying she wasn't aware of this incident >> she does this all the time.

I met with her one on one.

I was the only Democrat that got a private meeting with her.

He led the mandate for this meeting December where she can be for Homeland security.

Everything I've in our private meeting at headquarters.

That was a Congresswoman, let me look into it.

Congresswoman, let me look at to see Congresswoman.

I was not aware that you constituents of medical emergencies within city.

62 days on an inquiry to get the medicine she vicious, the lies under oath and Islam telling people and you're going to hear constituents all over the country.

Yes, we're happy that she got fired.

That's not enough.

She needs to be impeached and we actually to prosecute her because the lives that were lost under administration are not coming back.

And the children traumatized whether receive in mount constituents are not going to the UN traumatized because she was remote people in justice and have to be more than just the removal and certainly could have some slush position that she could go to with her special adviser.

Corey, as we know, has also been let go from the adjust.

>> You know, was also questioned Tuesday by Republican Senator John Kennedy about that 200 million Dollar ad campaign in which features heavily heavily.

You know, she said Trump approved the at T told Reuters he didn't know anything about it.

Do you think this campaign was perhaps finally the straw that broke the camel's back here?

>> Now, you know what I actually think for some of President Trump knows Christine, I was still weighing how off that shows on TV.

He follows a monitor closely.

All the things that she was doing, the private jet, all of the corruption, the contracts of this campaign donors.

Look, his friends are benefiting have been profiting from all the part of the tension where people are dying, rotting in prison.

He is what I think happened.

Yes, it's become more public.

More and more people have been going out to protest against what happened in Minneapolis in Chicago over the country and then Texas happen the elections of Tuesday just happened with the 5 districts that they redistricted in order to be able to cheat.

And when in Texas all have more Democrats voting than Republicans chief and they realize that ice is underwater.

Christine AMAs underwater and he's under water.

And so what is the president feels like he could be losing in November?

Do he throws the easiest one to the bus which I don't think it's under the bus.

She needed to be removed anyway.

But I think he thinks that by removing Christine numbers and the Latino community are going to change.

Not with the fire who he likes to brag about and a fighter as competency to be the next secretary.

I think the president knows that he's under water.

Ice is under water and the goal.

going to cost some elections as a result of it.

And of course, the DHS has been, you know, without federal funding amid a dispute over immigration enforcement.

>> course, that affects things like TSA and FEMA.

Do you think having Senator Mullen take over as secretary you know, breaking that stalemate any more likely?

>> Look, I think that we should not be funding DHS until we actually have the policy commitments that Christine on the Donald Trump have been unwilling to give us the White House, keep sending these empty poinsettia.

our negotiations, we're going to follow the law.

You follow the law.

So how is this any different from what you're effectively?

They haven't actually taken on any of the 10 points that Democrats have sent.

So here's the thing he's going to have to come before the Senate and he will need 60 people, including 7 Democrats to vote for confirmation.

actually the time and opportunism across have to hold the most leverage right now in a shutdown to actually get the policy changes that we need to see a transformative policy or people don't feel charity.

Mart and Democrats.

I hope my colleagues in the Senate will hold the line because is actually opportunity to do so until we find dismantle the it just.

>> Before we let you go, I also want to ask, you know, the house just hours ago narrowly rejected a war powers resolution that would have curbed the president's actions in Iran.

Are you concerned about an expanding war?

>> Absolutely.

You're seen every single day more and more casualties.

This Congress decided that it doesn't want to assert its power.

I'll tell you, Republicans and Democrats voted against the war powers resolution, frankly, should resign.

They've decided that they no longer need to be the ones that give the authorization for us to go into war.

They have ceded all their power to Donald Trump.

Put service members at risk of dying 6 about already died and made all of us less safe.

It is thus to couple to see what the margins that we lost.

This this resolution have people who chose Bibi Netanyahu over this country.

That's exactly what just happened an hour and a half ago.

>> And we've got just about 20 seconds left, but many Americans currently stranded abroad in the Middle East.

How would you rate the administration's efforts to bring them safely home?

>> Negative off.

That's a great.

They had no plan.

They didn't even think about the Americans that were all over the Middle East.

So many of them right now in tears thinking that today could be that they get Bob and I overseas discussing.

>> All right, Representative Delhi Ramirez, thank you very much for joining us.

We appreciate your time.

Thank you for having me.

Also tonight, Governor JB Pritzker still isn't satisfied.

The Trump administration is doing enough to bring Americans home from the Middle East.

This week Pritzker sent U.S.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a letter calling on the administration people stranded after the U.S.

and Israel struck Iran.

Pritzker told reporters today that he hasn't gotten a response, though.

He says his staff and state the top State Department staff have been in touch.

>> They claim that they are making efforts to reach the American citizens and particularly Illinois Inc across the Middle East that are having trouble getting out.

But we haven't seen any evidence or are we got calls from people that we know are stranded, saying that they now have the opportunity leave.

So will see.

I don't think they're moving very quickly or at least not quickly enough.

>> President Trump's tariffs face their latest legal challenge, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced he's joining 21 other attorneys general as well as the governors of Pennsylvania and Kentucky to file a federal lawsuit over the president's 15% tariffs on most goods from around the globe.

Trump levee that tariff under a different legal authority after the Supreme Court struck down his previous tariffs.

But Raul and his counterparts say the White House is still out of line and that residents are footing the bill for Trump's quote, unlawful tariffs, 2020's.

Woodlawn tenants are pushing back against potential displacement.

All 20 residents of the Cheney Bragg department say they formed a tenant union some 2 years ago after they say the building's landlord disappeared.

Now residents are demanding rent protections and airing concerns about a prospective buyer from California tearing down the building or launching a got rehab, which they blame on the imminent opening of the Obama Presidential Library center.

>> I think it's kind of insane and ironic that this demographic in this community should be so quickly swept out from something that it's really our own.

>> We need more make sure everyone who wants to stay here if able to and benefit from the Obama center coming to the neighborhood.

>> Up next, a look at the South side's only trauma center.

Stay with us.

>> Chicago tonight is made possible in part why the Alexander and John Nichols family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> More than 35,000 patients that 70 people, the University of Chicago's level one trauma center has served since it opened in 2018.

At that time, it filled a so-called trauma desert on the south side caused by the 1991 closure of Michael Reese Hospital's trauma center in Brownsville.

new study finds the trauma center is delivering on many of its promises.

The study looked at 14 years of shooting data and the hospital service area 7 years before and 7 years after the center opened and found it reduced travel distance by 3.4 miles after firearm injuries, reduced travel time by nearly 10 minutes and saved an estimated 79 lives per 2000 firearm injuries.

Joining us to talk about the study and the center's impact is doctor Selwyn Rogers, professor of surgery at the University of Chicago and founding director of the Trauma Center.

Welcome Back to the program.

Thanks so much for So, you know, before you Chicago Open the trauma center in 2018, how available was this kind of critical care on the South side?

we mentioned that the trauma does it there sadly night, 91 when Michael his hospital's trauma center close, they have not been existing proximate trauma care on the South side.

Chicago.

Obviously there were other.

>> Several other trauma centers in the city of Chicago.

Western Stroger Cook County Hospital as well as advocate.

But in terms of proxima trauma care on the South side.

Sadly, there was only a pediatric trauma center at the Comer Children's Hospital.

And how significant is it to be able to quantify the trauma centers impact after several years through the study?

>> Well, as you know, there was significant community activism advocating for trauma center on South side, Chicago to serve those people roughly 60,000 people who live in the South side and our proximate to the South side.

The trauma centers, lack of existence was a significant our focus of energy for South Siders related to getting early immediate patients, Senate access to trauma care on the South side, Chicago.

So this was a very, very important initiative that the community advocated for and ultimately in Russia, Congo came to the decision to open a level one trauma center over 7 years ago.

Yeah, you mentioned that that organizing that the community pressure head of the current center opening.

>> You know, absent even some of these remarkable medical results.

How has Yu Chicago's relationship with the surrounding communities changed?

Has it has benefited from the center will have great question.

I think it's a great question because outsiders, I can give you my own impressions as someone who lives in the South side.

>> It tends churches and town halls and meet people where there are everyday in many ways it's been a significant pay cut of the University of Chicago towards communities and Southside in a positive way as they won in the court TV land may know it's opening up of cancer center on the South Chicago to meet the needs sites, fighters both locally as well as the city Chicago and beyond.

You know, so let's get to some of these results.

The study found opening the center shaved off nearly 10 minutes of travel.

Time after shootings.

>> How important are those 10 minutes?

Well.

Trump comes in many forms, you know, trauma can be blunt.

>> Largely speaking, that is injuries that.

Suffer fall would be a collision or sadly.

Trauma can also come in the form of penetrating trauma.

And that's often times the most severe trauma, sadly in the city of Chicago, firearms-related injuries, par gunshot wounds.

The more severely injured.

You the more severely injured.

You are the more likely you are not only going to die a potentially lose a life for and your lamb, but you're going to suffer significant complications.

So time does matter.

We talk about minutes can matter.

The difference between life and death.

>> The study looked at the impact of the center in terms of mortality rates.

But you'll be on just saving lives.

How can you know this trauma center impact the overall quality of life for folks who are survivors of gun violence.

Well.

I you we started off by saying about 35,000.

You know, the exact number as of.

>> And the February 1st, 38,158 people that the Trump Senate, you go has served sadly 35%, one in 3 left week.

People come to the trauma center viewers.

Chicago have been shot.

that contacts every minute that someone remains in a state of shock, their likelihood of dying increases.

So when you start shaping up as many as 10 minutes and miles of transport time to an adult level, trauma center.

Not only do you give those people an opportunity for their life to be safe and we've seen it every day.

But you also give them opportunity for there.

Families.

2, see them again to hold him again to hug them again and ultimately for them to have a full recovery and hopefully.

The better than when they were injured.

Are there still gaps in the system?

Does the Southside need perhaps another level one trauma center?

Well, I think that's a question.

And I'm going to actually extend and say what we >> ultimately need is a trauma center.

system of trauma care that.

Bills itself out of it's I advocate very strongly for the important role of prevention.

All right.

That comes in 2 forms.

What we call secondary prevention.

That is someone who's are ready, injured and preventing recurrent injury.

That's a large part of the work that has been supported by the civic community with the partnerships for safe and peaceful communities as well as the city community largely committing 100 million dollars for community violence.

Intervention.

That's ecosystem of care to try to prevent retaliatory violence.

But also when you think about primary prevention, that is how can we prevent people from being injured in the first place?

That's even harder work.

And that really requires a deep investment can make in communities that historically have been this invested in.

And as I mentioned, if we can get.

Proximity get up strain so that we can prevent people from being injured first place.

That's ultimately the best trauma center that we can.

Politics are.

If you can make a public health comment.

Fires, house fires used to be a significant.

Negative impact.

Across the world talk about the great fire and Chicago and how that fire transform the city Chicago.

I wasn't quite uncommon now because we've made significant preventative efforts to help.

Alter that trajectory.

And I would hope that we can make a similar concerted effort to prevent trauma from occurring, especially gun violence from occurring in the first place.

Yeah, perhaps, you know, both prevention and certainly to remarkable results of this study can go a long way.

>> Adr selling Rogers, thank you very much for your time.

Thank you so much for having me.

Up next, a local university helps with an effort to bring home the remains of missing U.S.

service members.

That story right after this.

>> Reflecting the people and perspectives that make up our communities.

This story is part of Chicago tonight.

Black voices.

>> Deep in remote mountains.

Overseas teams of researchers, archaeologist and military personnel are searching for fallen American soldiers and a team at the University of Illinois.

Chicago is part of that effort.

Join Hernandez tells us more about their mission to bring the missing home and the families still fighting for closure.

That's where I want to go.

>> Inside the Department of Behavioral Sciences is a team of researchers working to find missing American soldiers.

>> We were looking for an aircraft crash That's Rick Elliott and Jessica Bishop.

>> The Boe for Ku AC Center for the Recovery and identification of the missing known scram.

>> We get to participate in this mission to bring service members home and help families.

>> They work in partnership with the federal agency known Defense P O W M I a accounting agency or DPA 8.

>> Its mission is to bring families the long-awaited answers.

The agency brings together teams to locate, recover and identify U.S.

service members who were killed in past conflicts and never brought home.

This team searches for World War.

2 soldiers in the Philippines supports missions in countries like Vietnam and Italy.

>> First, we'll do this historical research too.

Figure out what happened in each case to see if we can find the location.

You know, where the aircraft might have crashed.

>> So far, Elliott has been on 6 trips and he's preparing for his 7th to the Philippines.

>> This is a metal detector more advanced one.

So it's able to give you a more accurate reading of what you are detecting.

Not just that it's metal.

I've gone on investigations and work in places where there's no cell signal.

You're strictly on the SAT phones and that's the only way that you can get word out.

>> Last year, Crim and the dpa made a major breakthrough locating 5 American soldiers alongside a mountainside in Laos.

>> Bordering Vietnam.

One of them was U.S.

Air Force Tech.

Sergeant Willis are hall.

His son tells us he was just 18 when his father deployed.

>> When they told me that they had found my father's remains.

It was like to hit in the chest.

Took my breath away.

You know, I completely broke down.

And that because it was something that I thought I would never see.

>> Steve Coll says his father along with 18 other men were part of a secret operation run by the United States.

What a tactical air navigation radar site and a remote mountain in Laos.

Recall INS father was among them.

He was 8 years old when his father left when the site was overrun.

In 1968, 11 men were killed and among them were Rick in Steve's fathers, their families waited for answers for years.

Rick's mother sued the U.S.

government to release information and the mission was finally declassified in the early 1980's.

Last year, Rick stood on the very mountain where his father likely took his last breath.

>> If it hadn't been for the if it hadn't been for their health.

>> I probably never would have made it a point out and I definitely would never got the helicopter right around which the most powerful when you can take out the full spot on the side of the mountain, realize that that's the.

>> The PA guys.

>> For cram every excavation site tells the story.

Jessica Bishop says it represents a name, a family and a commitment to bring soldiers home.

>> You're dealing with weather and logistics and we don't stop taking until we know that.

Okay, we've done all we can.

>> such a rewarding being able to.

Help to provide answers to these families that have been waiting decades for them.

>> That was just overwhelming for Steve Hall, the discovery of his father's remains is news.

He's waited nearly 60 years to hear.

>> We did so many things together.

So not only did I lose, probably my best friend, but I lost my father.

>> These kids.

That don't even know.

And they're literally risking their lives.

>> For Chicago tonight, join Hernandez.

>> 4 soldiers remain unaccounted for among the 11 men killed during the Lima site mission.

Recalling says he's staying hopeful in his search for his father.

He tells us newly recovered remains from wow are now being analyzed in the coming months.

His family hopes they'll be getting the news.

They've been waiting for.

And that's our show for this Thursday night.

Join us tomorrow night at 5.37, for the week in review.

Now for all of us here in Chicago tonight, I'm Nick Blumberg.

Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe.

Have a good night.

>> Crews captured me pass by Robert, a cliff and Clifford a Chicago personal injury and wrongful death.

That is a multi-lingual providing