In recent days, various Chicago news media have extensively covered the federal immigration operation at the South Shore apartment complex. Viewers have witnessed the aftermath: open doors, ransacked apartments, and disrupted hallways left by federal agents.
However, what has been largely overlooked is the state of the building prior to the raid. That’s the information we aim to bring to light.
On Friday evening, CWBChicago acquired several TikTok videos recorded in September inside the apartment building located at 7500 South South Shore Drive, revealing conditions that, in some respects, are even more disturbing than the post-raid scene. The footage illustrates living situations that seem unsuitable for any creature, much less for people.
It’s important to note that serious allegations against federal agents have emerged and require thorough investigation: Residents who are U.S.-born have claimed they were zip-tied and forcibly evacuated from their homes until their citizenship was verified. Official reports later confirmed that 37 individuals were arrested. Moreover, some witnesses have alleged that children were taken out of the building naked and separated from their mothers.
Regarding the building itself, videos released by Wayne Head, who describes himself as a former maintenance worker there, depict a chaotic scene: doors splintered and ajar, deadbolts ripped from their fittings, and security cameras smeared with paint to conceal the internal happenings. The laundry area seemed stripped bare, with washing machines uprooted and water pooling across floors. Many units were left wide open, while others appeared compromised and had been boarded up with plywood.
According to Head, most of the building’s occupants were Venezuelan squatters. His videos illustrate residents without electrical service in their units resorting to running extension cords from other apartments. In some cases, people spliced into the power lines powering illuminated exit signs.
Head elaborated on the prevalence of damaged doors, explaining that squatters often forced their way into vacant units and installed their own locks. As he traversed the hallways, he pointed out the locks that appeared to have been installed by management versus those that were the work of squatters.
While recent narratives have characterized the raid as a pivotal moment, Head’s videos clearly demonstrate that the building was already in severe disrepair.
Traveling down a corridor slick with filthy water and marked by layers of grime, Head remarked that the desolate conditions had persisted well before September: “Trust me, it’s been like this for about three months.”
A photo caption from Block Club Chicago last week noted, “An apartment unit’s door is seen busted open to a room flooded with water damage.” Yet, Head’s footage indicates that floors were already inundated weeks prior, with kicked-in doors appearing to be a frequent occurrence.
As reported by WBEZ, a neighbor expressed, “You could see people’s birth certificates and paperwork scattered everywhere. Water was seeping into the hallway. It was wild.”
Head’s videos affirm that damage and flooding were customary long before federal agents entered the premises. Doors were boarded up, unsecured apartments were cluttered with debris, and makeshift wiring littered the area.
This raises questions: how much of the aftermath currently attributed to the raid was genuinely inflicted by federal agents, and how much had already existed prior to their arrival?
“This idea that it was a vibrant, diverse community building… is absolutely ridiculous,” commented an individual well-acquainted with the property.
Governor JB Pritzker has expressed that the state is ready to investigate any claims of child endangerment or mistreatment by federal agents, which is commendable. Yet, it prompts the question: where was the state a month ago—or even earlier—when the children were residing in such appalling conditions?
Two days after Head shared his third video from inside the building, prosecutors charged a Venezuelan migrant with the murder of another migrant in one of the complex’s apartments. The accused allegedly boasted about having someone dispose of the victim’s body by burying it in concrete at a construction site.
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Tim Hecke is the managing partner at CWBChicago. His career began at KMOX, the iconic news radio station in St. Louis. He subsequently worked at various stations in Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York City. Tim later created syndicated radio news and content services that catered to all of America’s 100 largest radio markets. He became CWBChicago’s managing partner in 2019.
He can be reached at tim@cwbchicago.com
