In the early morning hours of September 30, federal agents descended upon a South Shore apartment building in Chicago, executing one of the most dramatic immigration enforcement operations in recent memory. The raid at 7500 South Shore Drive resulted in 37 arrests and left a community reeling from what witnesses described as a traumatic display of military-style force.

At approximately 1:00 AM, residents of the five-story apartment complex were jolted awake by the sound of Black Hawk helicopters hovering overhead. Federal agents from U.S. Border Patrol, FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) surrounded the building, with some rappelling from helicopters onto rooftops while others arrived in Budget and U-Haul moving trucks.

Armed agents in military fatigues and masks burst through doors using flashbang grenades, forcibly removing men, women, and children from their apartments. Witnesses reported seeing agents drag residents – some partially clothed or naked – from the building and load them into unmarked vans.

The operation swept up American citizens alongside undocumented immigrants. At least one U.S. citizen was officially arrested on an unrelated narcotics warrant and turned over to Chicago police. However, multiple U.S. citizens were detained for hours without warrants or legal justification.

Perhaps most disturbing were witness accounts of children being forcibly separated from their parents during the raid. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that four U.S. citizen children were taken into custody and separated from their undocumented parents. A witness reported seeing federal agents dragging unclothed children from apartments and loading them into vans.

The Department of Homeland Security claimed the operation targeted members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, alleging the building was “a location known to be frequented by Tren de Aragua members and their associates”. However, only two individuals arrested were confirmed as suspected gang members, while others were detained for various criminal records ranging from aggravated battery to marijuana possession.

The raid was part of “Operation Midway Blitz,” a federal immigration enforcement initiative that has resulted in over 800 arrests across the Chicago area since September 8.

According to recent reports, ICE has deported nearly 200,000 people in the first seven months of Trump’s administration, with some individuals being deported within days of arrest. Some of those detained in the Chicago operation have reportedly already been transferred to detention facilities outside Illinois, including the newly established Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana.

As of September 2025, ICE is holding approximately 60,000 people in immigration detention. As of September 21, 71.5% of people held in ICE detention have no criminal convictions.