ProPublica: The Real Story Behind the Midnight Immigration Raid on a Chicago Apartment Building

[muriel_volestrangler]

For months, the Trump administration has justified its dramatic midnight raid on a Chicago apartment complex by saying that it had intelligence that the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua had taken over the building. But officials have provided no evidence to back up the claim.

Now, new documents confirm in the government’s own words that what prompted the raid was more pedestrian: allegations that immigrants were squatting in the complex. And the landlord had given federal officials, who were already targeting immigrants in Chicago, the blessing to search the building.
...
The records reveal that agents entered and searched the complex with the “owner/manager’s verbal and written consent.” Agents wrote that they launched the operation “based on intelligence that there were illegal aliens unlawfully occupying apartments.” They said they focused their search on units “that were not legally rented or leased at the time.” That narrative appears word for word in both arrest reports — for a Venezuelan man and a Mexican man.
...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security makes no mention in the records of Tren de Aragua, even though officials repeatedly cited the gang’s presence in the building as the motivation for the raid. Agents paraded immigrants in front of cameras and called their arrests a victory against terrorism. The government also claimed two of those arrested were gang members but never provided any proof.

https://www.propublica.org/article/chicago-venezuela-immigration-ice-raid-landlord-tren-de-aragua

So the government, unsurprisingly, is lying through its teeth about "gangs" - an excuse it needs to then construct the fear-inducing "invasion!!!" bullshit. 2 apartments with squatters is a matter for local courts and law enforcement (if needed at all), and should not involve the regular residents at all, let alone arresting dozens of them. And this section makes it clear that landlord is Trumpian in every way:

Last month, state officials launched a housing discrimination investigation into allegations that Flood and Strength in Management used federal agents to illegally force the Black and Hispanic tenants from the 130-unit building in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood.

In their complaint, state officials wrote that “building management blamed Venezuelan tenants for their own (management’s) failure to provide needed locks and security service, as well as other needed maintenance and repairs, and perpetuated stereotypes about Venezuelan gang members to send a message that tenants born outside of the United States were considered gang associates, even if they were law abiding.”

Within hours of the raid, workers from the management company were tossing tenants’ belongings in the trash and clearing out apartments, the complaint states.

[UpInArms]

1. So, they are hitmen eviction squads for slumlords

I spit in their general direction

[in2herbs]

2. I don't remember how this comment came to me but the comment about the raid was about

the helicopters used -- the commenter said they were Black Hawk helicopters which are military and ICE is not a branch of the military.

[leftstreet]

3. DURec

Must be nice. Most landlords have to follow a legal process, sheriff's eviction notices, etc. Nope, just ICE-swat your own building