Joliet Residents for Responsible Growth

08/31/2026

FLOCK OFF of Joliet Township roads!

WHATS HAPPENING:
The Joliet Township Highway Commissioner has considered revoking the permits for Flock cameras currently on Township roadways.
https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2026/08/28/joliet-township-official-weighing-revocation-of-flock-camera-permits-on-township-roads/

THE CONTEXT:
Cities across the U.S. are revoking their contracts with Flock Safety. With the assistance of Will County, municipalities, including Joliet, green-lit the expansion of this invasive, inaccurate surveillance technology.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/will-county-approves-flock-cameras-on-highways-after-heated-public-debate/3978139/

Our movement data captured by Flock is being abused across the country at an unacceptable rate, including in Joliet where a police lietuentent is being accused of using Flock data to improperly spy on a fellow female officer.
https://patch.com/illinois/joliet/flock-camera-firing-joliet-police-lt-jeremy-harrisons-termination-hearing-tapes

WHAT WE BELIEVE:
Joliet Residents for Responsible Growth (JRRG) supports this responsible scrutiny. However, Township cameras are a small number of the cameras within Joliet. Flock & ALPR contracts must be reconsidered at the city, township, county and state level. The removal of them in Joliet Township is a necessary component of this broader fight.

JRRG firmly believes that Flock and other ALPRs help drive the construction of massive data centers, serve to expand the profits & control of Big Tech and allow for unprecedented abuse of our personal data by law enforcement and unaccountable private entities.

Responsible growth cannot come without responsible public safety. We believe communities are made safer by investing in housing, healthcare, education, mental health services, violence prevention, and accountable public institutions—not by expanding systems of indiscriminate surveillance.

CALL TO ACTION:
Voice your support for the Joliet Township Road District to revoke their Flock permits: (815) 722-6646 | (815) 727-6191 | [email protected]

Call on the City to consider similar action: https://www.joliet.gov/government/city-council-3189

Support JRRG, including in our lawsuit against the City of Joliet and Hillwood, developer of the 795-acre Joliet Technology Center: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/joliet-residents-for-responsible-growth-fund/

08/22/2026

URGENT CALL TO ACTION:

After months of hard work, we are nearing our first court appearance!

​Many of you who oppose this large-scale data center have asked how you can help. Right now, the most effective way to assist with our lawsuit is through financial support.

​We are deeply grateful to our legal counsel for providing a generous community-group discount. However, even with this strong partnership, the sheer scale and complexity of this challenge demand hundreds of hours of dedicated legal work. Joliet Residents for Responsible Growth (JRRG) is fully committed to seeing this through, which means we must secure the funding necessary to sustain our momentum.

​We are calling on our community to stand with us during this critical moment. Every contribution counts!

​Thank you for your ongoing support. We are incredibly proud of how far we’ve come, and we won’t stop until our demands are met.

​Looking to donate? Click here!
https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/joliet-residents-for-responsible-growth-fund/

08/19/2026

Voting is tomorrow morning, Thursday 8/20! Even if you can’t make it- if you’re against mass surveillance and flock in your area you can submit your opinion online with the link below!

http://www.willcountyboard.com/public-comments-portal.html

URGENT: STOP FLOCK MASS SURVEILLANCE IN WILL COUNTY!

Please share the attached flyer, with your friends, family, and neighbors so they know what is happening in our community!
Our privacy and local resources are under attack. This Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., the Will County Board is voting on agreements that would allow eight municipal police departments to install Flock Safety Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) on county-owned highways.

Joliet Residents for Responsible Growth (JRRG) urges all residents to OPPOSE this mass surveillance and unchecked Big Tech expansion. Here is why we must stop these cameras:

Mass Surveillance: Flock cameras act as automatic spyware. They track the everyday movements of innocent Americans, taking pictures of where you go without a judge's warrant or any proof that a crime happened. This poses a major threat to our 4th Amendment rights.

Selling Your Privacy for Profit: Our local government is handing over your personal information to a private tech company. They get to store, control, and make money off data that shows everywhere you and your family drive, and we have no say in how they use it.

Wasting Our Power & Water: Storing billions of tracking pictures takes huge, energy-hogging data centers. Approving these cameras gives Big Tech an excuse to build massive buildings in our town that will drain Will County's local electricity and water supplies.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE & STOP THE VOTE:
Attend In-Person: Arrive 15-20 minutes early to clear security. Look for the public comment sign-in sheet right outside the County Board Room before the meeting begins. When called, you will have 3 minutes to tell the board to vote "NO" on the Flock agreements.
When: Thursday, August 20 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Will County Office Building, 302 N. Chicago St., 2nd Floor, Joliet, IL

CAN'T MAKE IT? YOU CAN STILL HELP!

Comment Online: Submit an online comment at www.willcountyboard.com/public-comments-portal.html. Select "Oppose" and tell the board to vote NO on the Flock camera agreements!
Email: [email protected]
Call: 815-740-4602 to leave a message.
We cannot let our county be turned into a surveillance state to feed Big Tech's data centers. Stand with JRRG and take action today!

08/18/2026

URGENT: STOP FLOCK MASS SURVEILLANCE IN WILL COUNTY!

Please share the attached flyer, with your friends, family, and neighbors so they know what is happening in our community!
Our privacy and local resources are under attack. This Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., the Will County Board is voting on agreements that would allow eight municipal police departments to install Flock Safety Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) on county-owned highways.

Joliet Residents for Responsible Growth (JRRG) urges all residents to OPPOSE this mass surveillance and unchecked Big Tech expansion. Here is why we must stop these cameras:

Mass Surveillance: Flock cameras act as automatic spyware. They track the everyday movements of innocent Americans, taking pictures of where you go without a judge's warrant or any proof that a crime happened. This poses a major threat to our 4th Amendment rights.

Selling Your Privacy for Profit: Our local government is handing over your personal information to a private tech company. They get to store, control, and make money off data that shows everywhere you and your family drive, and we have no say in how they use it.

Wasting Our Power & Water: Storing billions of tracking pictures takes huge, energy-hogging data centers. Approving these cameras gives Big Tech an excuse to build massive buildings in our town that will drain Will County's local electricity and water supplies.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE & STOP THE VOTE:
Attend In-Person: Arrive 15-20 minutes early to clear security. Look for the public comment sign-in sheet right outside the County Board Room before the meeting begins. When called, you will have 3 minutes to tell the board to vote "NO" on the Flock agreements.
When: Thursday, August 20 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Will County Office Building, 302 N. Chicago St., 2nd Floor, Joliet, IL

CAN'T MAKE IT? YOU CAN STILL HELP!

Comment Online: Submit an online comment at www.willcountyboard.com/public-comments-portal.html. Select "Oppose" and tell the board to vote NO on the Flock camera agreements!
Email: [email protected]
Call: 815-740-4602 to leave a message.
We cannot let our county be turned into a surveillance state to feed Big Tech's data centers. Stand with JRRG and take action today!

07/22/2026

We are Joliet Residents for
Responsible Growth! Follow along to support our mission of community led organization for economic sustainability through worker empowerment and corporate accountability

Looking to donate? Click here! https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/joliet-residents-for-responsible-growth-fund/

¡Somos Joliet Residents for Responsible Growth! Síguenos para apoyar nuestra misión de organización comunitaria a favor del desarrollo económico sostenible, a través del empoderamiento laboral y la responsabilidad corporativa.

Translation1: Quién somos?

Translation 2: ¿Quién son los Residentes de Joliet por un Crecimiento Responsable (JRRG)? Somos un grupo de residentes de Joliet que se oponen al proyecto de Hillwood y PowerHouse, el Joliet Technology Center - un centro de datos de 795 acres y 1.8 GW de capacidad. Joliet es una comunidad que ya soporta una carga desproporcionada de contaminación industrial y de almacenes logísticos. La región atraviesa condiciones de sequía cada vez más graves y cuenta con una red eléctrica cada vez más vulnerable. Ante esta situación crítica, los habitantes de Joliet se han unido al movimiento nacional de resistencia contra la construcción de nuevos y perjudiciales centros de datos.

Translation 3: Según la demanda de JRRG, el consejo municipal y los desarrolladores impulsaron el proyecto del centro de datos propuesto de manera ilegal. La demanda alega que violaron la Ley de Reuniones Abiertas al deliberar y votar sobre el proyecto sin dar al público la oportunidad de ser escuchado de forma significativa y legal. Además, sostiene que las aprobaciones de rezonificación y anexión fueron completamente arbitrarias, ignorando pruebas contundentes sobre el tráfico, el ruido, el consumo masivo de agua y la falta de una zonificación adecuada para centros de datos en el código de la ciudad.

Translation 4: Donaciones – Para apoyar la demanda, por favor considere hacer una donación a JRRG. Todos los fondos recaudados se destinarán a la representación legal necesaria para impugnar diversos proyectos de centros de datos en la región. Síganos para recibir actualizaciones.

Translation 5: Únase a nosotros y ven a formar parte de nuestros comités.– Difusión, Comunicaciones, Investigación.

07/01/2026

We are excited to announce that we’ve been invited to table at @/ nonewprisons.il upcoming Abolitionist Party! (Series V, F*CK the 4th)

This will be a fun, educational event with an Anti-Surveillance Panel, workshops, educational tables and bands!

If you visit our table you can expect to meet a few of our members who will be discussing data centers and the effects they have on our environment and health. We will also talk about how we started our fight to protect our land from the Joliet Technology Center, a proposed 795 thousand acres of land to be made into a data center.

We will discuss how we came together as a community to organize for our rights through economic sustainability, worker empowerment, and corporate accountability.

We are so grateful to have this opportunity to meet new organizers, educate on our mission and have meaningful conversations!

Huge thank you to NNP for the invite!!

General info:

Visit @/ nonewprisons.il on instagram for the complete list of information for this event.

Tickets: Pay what you can fundraiser, suggested donation $10-$20. No one turned away for lack of funds

RSVP: bit. ly/7326

Date & Time: 7/3/2026 /// 5pm-10pm

Location: FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
6400 S KIMBARK AVE
CHICAGO, IL

Accessibility info:

KN95/N95 MASKS REQUIRED
INDOORS WHILE NOT EATING/DRINKING

They’ll run air purifiers from Clean Air Club indoors & have extra masks available!

Wheelchair accessible entrance is on 64th street. There are 2 sets of 3-5 steps in the space and there will be a wheelchair ramp placed on these steps.

06/03/2026

Last Saturday, Griselda Chavez of JRRG was a featured speaker at the Illinois Environmental Council's (IEC) Lobby Day rally on the steps of The Capitol Building.

Alongside over 600 residents from Joliet and across the state, we joined together to bring awareness to large data center approvals, like in Joliet, and call on our state representatives to pass the POWER Act. This legislation would provide guardrails to the hyperscale data center industry and ensure that local communities, like Joliet and many others around Illinois, are not left out of the data center conversation.

There's much more to come! Want to join our campaign? Contact us today at [email protected] to get involved!

06/02/2026

Major Update!! 🗣️

We have officially taken our fight for community transparency to the courts. Joliet Residents for Responsible Growth (JRRG), alongside local residents, has filed a formal lawsuit in the Will County Circuit Court to halt the fast-tracked PowerHouse Hillwood data-center campus.

Case Details: Case number: 2026CH000108, Filed May 17, 2026, Circuit Court of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, Will County, Illinois Chancery Division.

GET INVOLVED & MEDIA INQUIRIES:
JRRG is proudly represented by the Law Office of Ronald Cummings of Plainfield, Illinois.

For media contacts, to join the campaign, or for general inquiries, reach out to us at: [email protected]

05/01/2026

On behalf of GreenLatinos and Warehouse Workers for Justice, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us this past Monday for our Data Centers Town Hall in Joliet! 💚

It was incredibly meaningful to gather in community over a meal and share space for such an important conversation. We’re deeply grateful for the time, insight, and lived experience everyone brought into the room.

Together, we had an important and grounding discussion on:

- What data centers are and why they’re coming to Illinois
- The hidden costs of Data Centers on communities
- The Joliet Data Center Proposal and ways to get involved in local organizing efforts
- State and Local policy action that can be used to regulate data centers
- And ways folks can take action

We always enjoy our time in Joliet, and collaborating with Warehouse Workers For Justice!

Hoping that those who couldn’t join us for this event, can for the next! We look forward to working in the community again soon, thanks again! 💚

04/28/2026

Last night, the city of Rochelle voted unanimously against yet another data center!

The plan, by Midwest Power Investors, has been in negotiation by the city since early 2025 and would have demanded up to 150 MW.

The proposal will be revisited, however, Mayor John Bearrows stated "I can not support this project and I won't."

Rochelle City Council voted unanimously against a proposal to build a data center.