L
ate on Sept. 30, federal agents descended on the 130‑unit complex at 7500 South Shore Drive, turning a quiet South Shore neighborhood into a national headline. The raid, involving Customs and Border Protection, the ATF, the FBI, and military helicopters, led to 37 arrests—most of whom were undocumented and allegedly linked to drug trafficking, weapons offenses, and immigration violations, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The building’s owner, Wisconsin‑based investor Trinity Flood, is already embroiled in a $27 million foreclosure suit from Wells Fargo over missed loan payments and a dispute over insurance coverage. Wells Fargo claims the property was left unsecured, allowing non‑tenants to enter, and that criminal activity and shootings have increased, especially troubling given its proximity to an elementary school. The bank cites reports from a tenants’ rights group and the alderman’s office that conditions have worsened and that the current manager cannot re‑assert control.
Flood counters that the lender‑placed insurance plan is far more expensive than the prior policy and is based on inflated property values. He argues that the insurance dispute should bar Wells Fargo from appointing a receiver. On Oct. 1, a judge denied Wells Fargo’s emergency request to name Matthew Tarshis of Frontline Real Estate Partners as receiver, stating the appointment would be decided later after two months of back‑and‑forth between the parties.
City officials had inspected the complex two weeks before the raid, yet no public statement was made about knowledge of the federal operation. Mayor Brandon Johnson and Alderman Gregory Mitchell issued no official comments beyond a brief mention at a Friday press conference, where Johnson described the raid as a “siege” that “terrorizes our communities” and “awakens Black families in the middle of the night with masked armed men.” Governor J.B. Pritzker condemned the operation on social media, accusing ICE of harassing people for not being white and calling it “not making America great again.”
Legal filings reveal that the building was unsecured, allowing non‑tenants access, and that crime had risen. The city had received reports from a tenants’ rights group and the alderman’s office about worsening conditions. It remains unclear whether city officials knew of the federal plan or were involved in its execution.
John Warren, chair of the Squatters Legislation Task Force for the Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance (NBOA), warned that the new Illinois law effective Jan. 1—allowing police to remove “squatters” without a court‑ordered eviction—could lead to escalated situations like this. NBOA’s president, Michael Glasser, urged members to comply with lawfully issued warrants while protecting tenants’ safety, privacy, and rights.
The raid coincided with a surge in immigration enforcement across Chicago, including tear‑gas deployment on a Logan Square street and a confrontation with Humboldt Park alderwoman Jessie Fuentes, who said agents chased a suspect to a hospital without producing a warrant or allowing legal counsel. Protesters have criticized ICE for alleged due‑process violations during apprehensions.
The National Apartment Association notes that renters generally have a right to privacy and do not have to allow ICE into their homes, though ICE can obtain criminal warrants from a judge in certain circumstances.
The incident underscores how a local foreclosure dispute, city knowledge of building problems, and a federal raid converged to create a national controversy, raising questions about coordination between local officials and federal agents, the legality of the raid, and the broader implications for tenant rights and law enforcement practices in Chicago.
