Landowner Told ICE to Target Residents with Unpaid Rent In Chicago Apartment Raid That Victimized Black U.S. Citizens and Children, Report Shows
A highly controversial raid on a Chicago apartment building that federal officials said was solely for "immigration enforcement" also targeted U.S. residents who reportedly weren't paying their rent, according to a new report. The September operation drew widespread attention and backlash after dozens of federal agents rappelled down from the helicopters onto a city street to storm a residential building where they zip-tied and dragged dozens of residents out of their homes, hauled them into vans, and detained them for hours. Department of Homeland Security officials said the ICE raid was aimed at arresting violent Venezuelan gang members who were part of the Tren de Aragua crew. Residents of a Chicago apartment building were all targeted in an ICE raid. (Photos: TikTok/ABC7Chicago) However, a new ProPublica report revealed that those alleged gang members weren't the only targets, shedding some light on why U.S. citizens were also detained. According to records obtained by the news outlet, local authorities evicted residents from a dozen apartments in the building only a couple of weeks before the raid. ‘Got Crunched Out There’: Aunt of Girl Who Attacked Chicago Mom and Son In Viral Video Mocks Victims Online Officials said that federal agents developed a list of suspects and apartments to target, partly based on information from the property owner, a Wisconsin real estate investor named Trinity Flood. While the agents' primary focus was apartments occupied by immigrants, they also reportedly targeted units occupied by U.S. citizens who weren't paying their rent. Several residents said the officers forced their way into their apartments without a warrant, battering down their doors and destroying property in the process. Court documents show that Flood said her companies “have invested hundreds of hours working with law enforcement in an attempt to prevent illegal squatters and criminal elements in the area from entering the building.” City officials sued the out-of-state investor last year for her failure to keep the building safe and up to date. According to Oregon Live, the building hasn’t passed an inspection in three years due to missing smoke detectors as well as filthy hallways and stairways. In a statement, DHS officials confirmed they arrested 37 people during the raid, only two of whom they identified as actual Tren de Aragua members. Officials said the other 35 people who were taken into custody were living in the country illegally. Agents also arrested one U.S. citizen who was wanted in a local narcotics case. However, according to ProPublica, federal prosecutors have yet to criminally charge any of the individuals arrested, nor has any evidence been presented tying two of the arrests to allegations of gang activity involving Tren de Aragua. It's also unclear whether agents seized any illicit materials during the raid, like drugs or weapons.
