AMNA NAWAZ: Well, there were more# arrests in the Chicago area today,## as protesters clashed with police in a# demonstration outside an ICE facility.## Four officers were injured and 21 people# were arrested after a fight broke out.

Protesters are demanding an end to ICE's# methods and raids that have been a constant## in Chicago since the administration launched# what it called Operation Midway Blitz in## September.

The allegations around a number# of those raids are being sharply questioned.

The latest comes from a new investigation by# ProPublica that finds a recent raid hailed## by the Trump administration as a major strike# against terrorism did not live up to those claims.

Ali Rogin tells us more.

ALI ROGIN: Amna, the raid on## September 30 is etched into the minds# of some residents after they watched## hundreds of federal agents rappel from Black# Hawk helicopters, use drones and flashbang## grenades to storm an apartment building# in the city's South Shore neighborhood.

Dozens of Venezuelan migrants who were# found to be undocumented were detained,## with officials alleging they are members# of a dangerous gang called Tren de Aragua,## which has been designated as a terrorist group.

But the investigation by ProPublica# paints a different picture.

It found## that many of those arrested had no# criminal records and the government## has provided no evidence tying them to terrorism.

I'm joined by Melissa Sanchez, who co-authored# this article after a monthslong investigation.

Melissa, thank you so much for joining us.

First of all, what have government officials been## saying in order to justify this raid# and what did your reporting find out?

MELISSA SANCHEZ, ProPublica: Well,# the government has claimed that the## Venezuelan gang -- the Venezuelan gang Tren# de Aragua had taken over this building on the## South Side of Chicago and that there were guns# and explosives and drugs inside the building.

But our reporting has found, like,# little evidence to back up this claim.## The government has provided little --# no proof at all that this is true.

They## haven't even revealed the names of any# of the immigrants that they detained.

We were able to identify 21 of the 37# immigrants.

And we were -- and I spoke## with 12 of them.

And we looked up all# their criminal records.

Very few of them## had any.

And the records that we did find# showed zero mentions of gang membership.

ALI ROGIN: And of those 37# individuals who were arrested,## there were no criminal charges filed against them.# Why is that?

What did you find out about that?

MELISSA SANCHEZ: So, we spoke with# federal -- former federal prosecutors.

And what they have told us is that# if the government had a good case,## we would have seen charges filed in federal court,## and we haven't seen any yet.

So that# suggests that maybe no charges are coming.

And kind of to add to that, we have gone# to a lot of these men's immigration court## hearings.

We have gone to eight of them# so far.

And in not one of those hearings## as a government lawyer made any reference# to criminal cases or to gang membership.

So all of that makes it# really difficult to believe## that -- believe what the government# is saying about gang membership.

ALI ROGIN: There is tremendous video evidence# showing this dramatic entrance into this## complex.

Did agents have warrants to forcibly# enter the apartments that they did that night?

MELISSA SANCHEZ: That's a great question.

I# wish I could tell you that we knew the answer.## The government won't tell us.

We have found no# evidence of warrants filed in federal court,## although they could be under sealed.# But we have asked the government,## and they haven't answered.

They said they# have done everything according to the law.

ALI ROGIN: I want to ask you about what the# administration has said in response to your story.

A Homeland Security spokesperson said agents# arrested two -- quote -- "confirmed members"## of Tren de Aragua and that children# were taken into custody for safety,## but that they were not handcuffed.

How# does that jibe with your reporting?

MELISSA SANCHEZ: Well, the part# about the kids being handcuffed,## I do want to make clear to your audience# that none of the 12 Venezuelans who we## spoke to said that they saw kids being# zip-tied, so that -- just to be clear.

But we have seen no evidence about these two# gang members.

We were able to identify one of## the two people that the government says is a gang# member.

We were able to run his name against these## lists from Interpol and from Venezuelan police of# gang members, and he doesn't appear on that list.

We spoke with him.

He said he's not a gang member,## that when I talked to him on the phone while# he was in jail, that was the first he'd ever## heard of any allegation that he was a# member of the Tren de Aragua.

We looked## up his criminal record.

He had gotten arrested# once in Chicago for driving without a license.

During that stop, they found some# marijuana and coke on him.

It was a## minor amount.

That charge was dropped.# That's all that we could find on that.

ALI ROGIN: I do want to note that your reporting# and that of others does show that this building## was dilapidated.

Many residents cited feeling a# sense of danger.

Some men carried guns openly.

A## Venezuelan resident was arrested for murder of a# fellow countryman in an apartment over the summer.

So, what did residents tell you about the# safety of this building and also, though,## what they thought about the proportionality# of this particular law enforcement action?

MELISSA SANCHEZ: Yes, so the building# was unsafe.

Everything you said is true.## There was a murder there over the# summer.

We have the records from## court and police.

Nothing in those records# indicates anything about Tren de Aragua.

Some of our colleagues ran the numbers on# 911 calls to that building.

And it's high## compared to -- there's a high volume of calls# to police, but it's not any higher than it is## in other parts of that neighborhood.

That's sort# of typical for that part of the neighborhood.

And, beyond that, I think the# residents that we spoke with,## they were really shocked by what happened.

I# mean, this building was all that they could## afford.

None of the people we spoke to had# gotten hurt at that building.

And there were## people maybe that they were suspicious of,# but they kind of all kept to themselves.## And nobody reported any problems with any# of their neighbors at that building to us.

ALI ROGIN: Some of the individuals that# were apprehended have been detained.## And others have been deported# back to their home countries.## You have spoken with many of them.# What have they been telling you?

MELISSA SANCHEZ: So the ones who are in# detention still are really desperate.

They## want to get out.

They have been in custody# now for six or seven weeks at this point,## and they want to go back to Venezuela at this# point.

A lot of them don't have passports,## so getting back to Venezuela# is a little bit tricky.

The ones who have already been deported, I# think every single one of them has told me## that they have returned with less than they# had left that country with years ago.

I mean,## a lot of them fled Venezuela years ago because the# country has a collapsed economy, an authoritarian## government, and it's really difficult to# get a job and support your family there.

And, here in the U.S., they had jobs.

They had# bought used cars.

They had bought clothes and## shoes and tablets for their kids, and all of# that is gone.

So I think they have returned## to a country that's difficult to survive in, and# they don't have anything to make a life anymore.

ALI ROGIN: Melissa Sanchez with# ProPublica, thank you so much.

MELISSA SANCHEZ: Thank you.