Yes, asking about the return. My two connecting options allow for either a 1:50hr layover or a 3:40hr layover coming home to Chicago. I'm leaning toward taking my chances to avoid the very long layover after a long day of flying. I realized that I've never cleared customs at EWR in my ~15 years of heavy flying, which is kind of crazy.
Sadly, longer is smarter. If you clear early, you can always standby for the next domestic flight.
David