Reporters Pose The Most Inappropriate Questions: Are You A Criminal?

Federal Raids in Chicago Target Illegal Aliens

On September 30, 2025, federal law enforcement conducted a raid at a Chicago apartment complex, leading to the arrest of 37 individuals identified as illegal aliens.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicated that those arrested were from various countries, including Venezuela, Mexico, Nigeria, and Colombia. Notably, they claimed that members of the Tren de Aragua gang and other violent offenders were among those detained.

However, the journalists at ProPublica seem skeptical of the narrative presented by the Trump administration. They suggest that the rationale behind the raid was less about gang activity and more about accusations of immigrants squatting in the building. According to Melissa Sanchez and Jodi Cohen, the landlord had permitted federal officials to search the premises, which raises questions about the motivations behind the raid.

Interestingly, Sanchez and Cohen overlook the striking details of the situation. Almost 40 illegal immigrants were reportedly living in this Chicago building, with some possibly squatting. It appears that the landlord had to resort to federal intervention to remove them.

Instead, their tone seems to criticize the landlord, implying: “From the beginning, there had been questions about whether Flood and her property manager alerted the government to eliminate squatters in her building…”

This raises another question: how can we be sure that none of the undocumented squatters were affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang?

Tricia McLaughlin, DHS’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, informed ProPublica that the operation led to the capture of two confirmed gang members. She mentioned that one individual matched a name on the Terror Screening Watchlist.

McLaughlin noted, “Given that two individuals of a Foreign Terrorist Organization were arrested at a location they are known to frequent, we are limited on further information we can provide. The safety and protection of our sources is more important than your story.”

Sanchez and Cohen pointed out that Tren de Aragua was not mentioned in the arrest records they reviewed. They further reported that they interviewed 15 of the immigrants taken into custody that night, all of whom denied any gang affiliations. While acknowledging some criminal activity, including a murder last summer, none of them claimed to know of gang members residing there.