Highland Park mayor urges federal de-escalation, proclaims International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Mayor Nancy Rotering opened the Highland Park City Council meeting on Jan. 26, 2026, by reading and endorsing a statement from the United States Conference of Mayors that called for de-escalation by federal immigration enforcement officials following a recent fatality in Minneapolis.

Rotering said the mayors’ statement, joined by large-city police chiefs, urged national leaders and federal law enforcement to model professionalism and restraint and to avoid actions that erode public trust. "This status quo is unacceptable," Rotering said, adding that the nation needs "statesmanship and leadership" to de-escalate such federal activity.

The mayor tied the local call to an international commemoration by reading a proclamation declaring Jan. 27, 2026, International Holocaust Remembrance Day as designated by the U.N. General Assembly. The proclamation referenced the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition and examples of antisemitism and urged residents "to educate themselves about its history and lessons" and to recommit to tolerance and vigilance.

Council Member Annette Littewer accepted the proclamation on behalf of her mother and described her family’s survival and losses during World War II, thanking the council for adopting the IHRA examples earlier in the year.

The mayor’s statement and the proclamation were presented as matters of community values and public safety; no formal council action was taken on the immigration statement beyond the reading and endorsement during the mayor’s report. The council moved on to other agenda business after the presentations.