37 arrested in military raid on Chicago apartment building; families seek $85 million in damages
May 25, 2026·Location: Chicago, IL
Country of origin: Venezuela

On October 1, 2025, federal agents from Border Patrol, FBI, and ATF conducted a predawn military-style raid on a five-story apartment building at 7500 S. South Shore Drive in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood around 1 a.m. as part of "Operation Midway Blitz." Agents rappelled from helicopters, kicked down doors, and threw flash bang grenades, resulting in 37 arrests and the detention of dozens of people, including children placed in zip-ties and without clothing. Four of the detained children are U.S. citizens with undocumented parents, and U.S. citizens were also detained for hours during the operation. Residents reported missing belongings and property damage throughout the building. By May 2026, seventeen of those detained filed tort claims collectively seeking approximately $85 million in damages for their treatment during the raid.
Timeline
Sources
- TIME
- After raids, U.S. citizens and immigrants seek millions for shootings, injuries, trauma
Los Angeles Times·May 26, 2026·archived copy
- Massive immigration raid on Chicago apartment building leaves residents reeling: ‘I feel defeated’
WBEZ·Oct 1, 2025·archived copy
- Immigration raid targeting Tren de Aragua nets 37 arrests on Chicago's South Side: DHS
- ICE raid at squalid apartment building in Chicago swept up dozens of citizens
Boston Globe·Oct 19, 2025·archived copy
- WGN News employee threw object at Border Patrol agents, Bovino says
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