The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has initiated an investigation into the removal of former basketball player Enes Kanter Freedom from a Chicago Sky game and his subsequent ban from Wintrust Arena, filing a public records request on his behalf.

The AFPI submitted a six-page request Friday to the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), the government entity that owns the arena, under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. The request aims to secure documents that could help determine who holds authority over access, security, and event operations at the publicly owned facility.

Freedom attended a WNBA game on August 23, 2026, between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever, wearing a shirt with the message "WOMAN noun. adult human female." During a third-quarter timeout, Sky guard Natasha Cloud approached Freedom's courtside seat, leading to a verbal exchange. Security intervened, and Freedom was escorted from the arena after stepping toward the court.

AFPI's request seeks agreements between the MPEA, arena operator Oak View Group, the Chicago Sky, and the WNBA. It also asks for security policies, law-enforcement agreements, records identifying who authorized Freedom's removal and ban, and documentation detailing the arena's receipt of federal funding.

The MPEA is described as a municipal corporation created by the Illinois General Assembly, with board members appointed by the Illinois governor and Chicago's mayor. Wintrust Arena, with a 10,000-seat capacity, operates through a public-private partnership with DePaul University.

AFPI chief legal affairs officer Leigh Ann O’Neill stated that Freedom exercised his constitutional rights and that the institute is seeking critical documents to ensure public entities are held accountable when constitutional rights are allegedly infringed upon. The records request does not establish that Freedom's rights were violated but seeks information to determine if the actions of the Sky or arena personnel can be attributed to a public entity.

AFPI has also requested that the MPEA preserve potentially responsive emails, text messages, and internal communications while producing records on a rolling basis. No lawsuit has been filed concerning the incident.