Immigration attorney LaToya McBean Pompy, Esq. is calling attention to what she describes as a shocking violation of constitutional rights after a large-scale federal raid in Chicago left U.S. citizens zip-tied and detained without warrants.
In a viral video posted on her Instagram account (@mcbeanimmigrationlaw), McBean Pompy detailed the early-morning raid, which took place Tuesday around 1 a.m. at a South Shore apartment building. Federal agents—including ICE, the FBI, ATF, and Border Patrol—reportedly broke down doors, removed families from their apartments, and searched units without presenting warrants.
“U.S. citizens were pulled out of their homes, zip-tied, and left outside while their apartments were ransacked,” McBean Pompy said in her post, noting that some residents were forced outside partially clothed. “Warrant-less searches of apartments is unconstitutional.”
According to TIME, federal authorities confirmed that 37 individuals were arrested during the operation. DHS stated that some of those detained were suspected of involvement in drug trafficking, weapons offenses, and immigration violations.
Officials also described the South Shore neighborhood as a location frequented by members of the Trend Day Eric Way (TDA) group.
Still, McBean Pompy stressed that the scope of the raid went far beyond criminal targets, ensnaring law-abiding U.S. citizens. She argues that the Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures and encouraged residents to consider filing civil rights complaints against DHS.
“This type of raid mirrors the very practices my asylum clients fled from in Central America,” McBean Pompy explained, drawing comparisons to cases she has handled for individuals seeking refuge in the U.S. after unlawful raids in their home countries.
Her message has amplified debate about how federal enforcement operations intersect with constitutional protections, with advocates warning that the treatment of U.S. citizens during immigration sweeps could set dangerous precedents.
