CHICAGO – A national organization has sued the Trump administration to release footage of the controversial immigration raid at a South Shore apartment building in the early morning hours of Sept. 30.
What we know:
The Democracy Forward Foundation sued the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to release all raw video and audio footage taken by federal agents during the raid under a public records request, according to the lawsuit.
The building at 7500 S. South Shore Drive has lost many of its former tenants following a recent large scale raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Chicago, Monday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service
In the days after the raid, DHS published a video on social media with scenes of the operation set to dramatic music and quick cuts showing the arrest of several individuals at the apartment building. DHS claimed about three dozen undocumented immigrants were arrested and said some were “believed to be involved in drug trafficking and distribution, weapons crimes, and immigration violators.”
The foundation claimed in the lawsuit the publication of the video indicates it was “a compilation of a substantial quantity of footage edited for public relations purposes.” It wants all the footage to be released to “shed light on the Trump-Vance Administration’s unlawful and unconscionable immigration actions.”
The Democracy Forward Foundation filed a request for all the raw video under the Freedom of Information Act in October, but did not receive a decision by the federal government within the legal time limit.
“The administration cannot ignore the Constitution in their pursuit of social media clicks. The public deserves to see the full extent of the horror inflicted on American neighborhoods by the Trump-Vance administration’s unconstitutional and unlawful PR stunt,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, in a statement. “The government cannot legally hide the footage captured at the raid, nor can they cover up the public documents used in the raid’s preparation and execution. We are eager to argue this case in court.”
A pink bicycle, diapers and clothing are scattered about the second floor hallway following a raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents the previous week at 7500 S. South Shore Drive in Chicago, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chic
Local activists and elected officials slammed the raid as a publicity stunt that targeted families in a largely Black community. One state senator called the operation “absolutely disgusting.”
In the weeks since, multiple outlets have reported that no public criminal charges were filed in connection with anyone detained during the raid.
A DHS spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit or criminal charges in connection with the raid.