DHS Official Caught Spreading False Information About Teen’s Arrest

A senior Department of Homeland Security official has once again been caught disseminating inaccurate information, this time regarding the violent detention of an American teenage girl in suburban Chicago.

Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary and top communications official to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, falsely claimed on social media that a viral video showing the rough arrest of a young woman was “a video from a burglary arrest Chicago Police made over a year ago.” McLaughlin emphatically stated: “This isn’t even ICE.”

Evidence quickly emerged contradicting McLaughlin’s assertions. The incident actually occurred last Friday in Hoffman Estates, a Chicago suburb with its own police department, not under Chicago PD jurisdiction as McLaughlin had claimed. Video analysis revealed that the officer who restrained the teen was wearing a DHS Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) flak jacket – a division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

This marks the second time in recent weeks that McLaughlin has been caught spreading misinformation. Last month, she falsely characterized a mother who lost her baby while in ICE detention as a wanted killer, according to previous reporting.

The incident involved 18-year-old Evelyn, a U.S. citizen, who was detained along with two friends in the parking lot of the Hoffman Estates Police Department. Video footage shows an officer throwing the teenager to the ground before kneeling on her. The officer was wearing distinctive ERO-branded body armor, directly contradicting McLaughlin’s claim that ICE wasn’t involved.

In subsequent footage from the scene, the same officer – identifiable by his blue hoodie, sneakers, body armor, and leg holster – can be seen escorting the visibly frightened teenager from the Hoffman Estates Police Department and placing her into an unmarked dark blue Ford Expedition.

Evelyn’s parents, Jazmin and Gerardo, confirmed in a CBS News interview that they waited while their daughter and her friends were held for hours without explanation. “They were telling them they were U.S. citizens, and they didn’t care. It was very scary to see,” Jazmin told reporters. Her husband added, “I couldn’t protect my child.”

The Hoffman Estates Police Department issued a statement confirming ICE’s presence in the area but clarifying their limited involvement: “The Hoffman Estates Police Department follows the Trust Act and does not participate in immigration enforcement with ICE. On Friday we had a squad car in the area that was responding to a separate call for service.”

Despite clear evidence refuting her claims, McLaughlin’s inaccurate post remains published on her official government account. She has not responded to multiple inquiries seeking explanation for the false statements or why she hasn’t removed the post.

The incident occurs amid heightened scrutiny of DHS tactics under Secretary Noem’s leadership. The department has been aggressively pursuing the Trump administration’s target of 3,000 daily deportations, leading critics to question some of their enforcement methods.

For Evelyn’s family, the ordeal has left them shaken and planning legal action. “Isn’t the government supposed to protect and serve?” Gerardo asked.

This case highlights growing concerns about both ICE enforcement tactics and the accuracy of information being communicated by high-ranking DHS officials to the public, particularly as immigration enforcement actions intensify nationwide under the current administration.