CHICAGO, IL – On Tuesday, a coalition of civil rights organizations submitted administrative complaints under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) on behalf of eighteen people who were unlawfully arrested and brutalized by federal agents during a military-style raid on their apartment building last fall during Operation Midway Blitz.
The claims against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies that were present at the raid detail the shocking experiences of residents at the hands of federal agents who stormed the building, broke down doors without warrants, and rounded up adults and children alike at gunpoint in the middle of the night. The complaints were filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the University of Chicago Immigrants’ Rights Clinic (IRC), the MacArthur Justice Center, and the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC).
After midnight on September 30, 2025, federal agents descended on the apartment complex in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago with a Black Hawk helicopter, unmarked vans, and rented moving trucks. Approximately 300 agents besieged the building going door-to-door, breaking into apartment units, pulling people from their beds, and rounding up and zip-tying families, including children. Amidst the chaos, a DHS-hired camera crew and drones followed agents and filmed the operation inside and outside the building; footage was later released on DHS’ social media accounts as promotional content.
The complaints describe individuals being held at gunpoint, physically kicked or struck by rifles, and marched outside in little to no clothing or pajamas. Residents were targeted based on race and ethnicity. Detainees were not told why they were being held and were never shown warrants, and were barred from contacting attorneys. That night, agents detained over thirty people who were eventually taken to the Broadview ICE facility where they suffered inhumane conditions of confinement. The 18 people have filed their complaints collectively to pursue remedies for their individual harms and to hold the entire system accountable. Together, they bring these actions to demand that no government agency acts with such blatant disregard for civil and human rights again.
“This raid is among the most abhorrent actions of Operation Midway Blitz, part of the current administration's militarized campaign targeting communities of color in cities across the country,” said Susana Sandoval Vargas, MALDEF Midwest Regional Counsel. “In an unprecedented use of force, armed federal agents stormed into an apartment complex with predominantly Latino and Black residents, and unlawfully dragged men, women, and children from their homes in the middle of the night. We are pleased to represent courageous clients who have decided to stand up against this abuse of power and hold the federal government accountable for its actions.”
“Unarmed people were asleep in their homes when they were met with a level of force and cruelty that would be unthinkable outside a battlefield,” said Samuel White, student attorney with the University of Chicago Immigrants’ Rights Clinic. “Yet, despite this administration’s rhetoric, this is not a war. Immigrants are human beings with legal rights, and we intend to use every available legal tool to hold those responsible accountable and secure the justice our clients deserve.”
“We should not live in a country where the federal government can use violations of the Constitution as propaganda and get away with it,” said Jonathan Manes, senior counsel at the MacArthur Justice Center. “This raid was a nightmare turned into reality. It put federal agents’ abuse of power on full display while leaving the Chicago community traumatized. We are proud to fight for our clients and hold those responsible to account.”
“For the residents whose homes were invaded and lives turned upside down by heavily armed ICE and Border Patrol officers during this harrowing operation, the aftermath and trauma continues and may have lifelong implications for those who do not have the resources to support a healthy recovery,” said Allena Martin, senior litigation attorney at the National Immigrant Justice Center. “The U.S. government has no right to inflict this level of emotional distress and property damage and then just walk away—seeking compensatory damages is a necessary step toward righting the wrong these members of our communities, including families with young children, experienced that night.”
For more information or to speak with an attorney, please contact:
- Julie Gallego, Jgallego@maldef.org and Cristian Gomez, cgomez@maldef.org, MALDEF
- Jasmine Razeghi, MJC and IRC, razeghi@macarthurjustice.org
- Tara Tidwell Cullen, NIJC, TTidwellCullen@immigrantjustice.org