Code Switch Unpacking the Trump administration's immigration raid in Chicago
Oct 25, 2025
Myra Kwaja, a reporter from the Invisible Institute, dives deep into the chaotic midnight immigration raid in Chicago, revealing how heavily armed agents executed a military-style operation that left both migrants and citizens traumatized. She discusses the deteriorating conditions of the building where many migrants lived and the controversial tactics used by DHS to dramatize the raid. Furthermore, Myra highlights local community efforts to resist these aggressive actions and the complex relationships between migrants and longtime residents.
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Midnight Military-Style Raid
- Helicopters, flashbangs, and rappelling agents descended on a Chicago apartment after midnight on September 30.
- Residents, many half-dressed and including children and U.S. citizens, were zip-tied and dozens were taken away.
Neglect Led Migrants To Run-Down Building
- 7500 South South Shore Drive had been neglected: broken systems, unpaid fees, and hundreds of emergency calls.
- Migrants moved there because the city used temporary shelters and rental assistance after Texas bus drops overwhelmed services.
Raid Was Designed As A Publicity Operation
- DHS staged the operation as a visual spectacle with camera crews and body cams to produce propaganda.
- Myra Kwaja says the theatrical tactics targeted a poor, majority-Black neighborhood to minimize public concern about Black residents being swept up.