DHS silent on false post about suburban arrest
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Screenshot: X post from Tricia McLaughlin
Earlier this month, a top official at the Department of Homeland Security posted a message on X denying the agency's involvement in an arrest captured on video, instead falsely claiming Chicago police were involved.
- 10 days later, DHS officials have not removed it nor commented on why they'd contradict local law enforcement.
Why it matters: DHS's refusal to address conflicting evidence and modify errors has been documented several times, a pattern that could erode the public's faith in the department at a time when it's conducting controversial operations in Chicago.
Catch up quick: On Oct. 10, a Hoffman Estates resident took a video of a 15-year-old girl, who identified herself to the Tribune as Evelyn, being violently apprehended.
- On Oct. 12, assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS Tricia McLaughlin reposted the video and called it "a video from a burglary arrest Chicago Police made over a year ago."
Reality check: The incident captured on the video features a Hoffman Estates intersection and Hoffman Estates squad car. Chicago police do not have jurisdiction in Hoffman Estates.
- Hoffman Estates police chief Kasia Cawley confirmed to Axios that DHS agents were operating in the village on Oct. 10.
- A BBC reporter notes that another social media video taken that day features an agent who looks identical to the one in the arrest video walking into the Hoffman Estates Police parking lot.
- CPD officials confirmed to Axios they made no arrests at the location in question.
Zoom out: Other recent discrepancies shared on DHS accounts include a McLaughlin statement describing an incident in Brighton Park earlier this month as happening in "Broadview" and suggesting Gov. JB Pritzker controls the CPD, which he does not.
- McLaughlin has also characterized protesters at the Broadview ICE facility as "rioters," while Axios and other news outlets have documented the demonstrations as almost entirely peaceful, with federal agents behind the gates using tear gas, pepper spray and munitions on the public.
Between the lines: These discrepancies have started to drive legal consequences.
- Earlier this month, Judge April Perry cited DHS' "unreliable" perception of events as a main reason for issuing a temporary restraining order on National Guard troops coming to Chicago.
What they're saying: Axios has sent multiple inquiries to DHS officials asking whether they have seen the statements from local officials on the Hoffman Estates incident and have considered removing the erroneous assertions.
- The department, which has responded to many other recent inquiries, has not responded to these ones.
What we're watching: U.S. Rep Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat whose district includes Hoffman Estates, has confirmed the validity of the video and says his office continues to gather information about it.