Pritzker Directs State Agencies To Evaluate Treatment Of Children During Fed Raid In South Shore

CHICAGO – Following widespread reports of children being zip tied, separated from their parents, and detained for several hours on the evening of September 30 at an apartment building in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago, Governor JB Pritzker directed the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to provide support services and evaluate the treatment of children involved.

“Today, I am directing state agencies to coordinate support for the innocent children and families impacted by this event and determine any formal steps or investigations that the state should initiate to hold federal agents accountable,” said Governor Pritzker.

As part of this directive, DCFS and IDHS will engage community-based partners to support families in the building impacted to ensure they are connected to appropriate resources. DCFS will make contact with impacted families and children to gather more information and the facts around these incidents. If DCFS receives allegations of suspected abuse or neglect by federal agents, the state will take formal steps to pursue every possible avenue to ensure the safety and well-being of children, including collaborating with local law enforcement as necessary.

“Imagine being a child awakened in the middle of the night by a Black Hawk helicopter landing in your neighborhood. Imagine an armed stranger forcibly removing you from your bed, zip-tying your hands, separating you from your family, and detaining you in a dark van for hours. This didn’t happen in a country with an authoritarian regime – it happened here in Chicago. It happened in the United States of America – a country that should be a bastion of freedom, hope, and the rights of our people as guaranteed by the Constitution,” Governor Pritzker said. “Military-style tactics should never be used on children in a functioning democracy. As more details emerge, I am appalled by the reports of excessive use of force against children as well as the many innocent bystanders who were punished simply for residing in that building.”

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