Ruling clears path for allegations of racial profiling, assault, and unlawful detention of local day laborers by off-duty Chicago police moonlighting as private security

January 30, 2026

CHICAGO, IL – Today, a judge in the Northern District of Illinois partially denied motions to dismiss in a lawsuit against Home Depot and the City of Chicago. The lawsuit alleges that off-duty Chicago Police officers, working as security guards for Home Depot, illegally detained and assaulted day laborers at the popular hardware store on South Ashland. The court’s decision supports the claims by five people who were seeking work when they were racially profiled, pulled into and held in a back room of Home Depot, beaten, and then charged with trespassing. The ruling also suggests that the City of Chicago may be complicit in the abuses by failing to control how police officers use their state-sanctioned powers.

“Today’s ruling affirms our standing that the City of Chicago fails to regulate how its police use their authority when off-duty. This lack of oversight endangers Chicagoans when off-duty police overstep their authority and use excessive force, behaving like they have the same powers off the clock,” says Kevin Herrera, Legal Director of Raise the Floor Alliance. “We look forward to a resolution that both acknowledges these abuses and the City’s recognition that they can be avoided with better policies overseeing CPD, especially in a moment where the public is increasingly cognizant of unregulated and abusive law enforcement”

“We feel vindicated to see the court’s decision to move the case forward. At a time when our neighbors can barely afford their rent and bills, the City should be investing in safe hiring opportunities, not subjecting our workers to police terror.This ruling brings us one step closer to not only winning justice for day laborers but also to a world that affirms everyone’s right to seek work without fear of abuse,” says Sophia Zaman, Executive Director of Raise the Floor Alliance.

The ruling can be found here. For additional information on the case, or to request an interview with the litigation team, contact Kara Rodriguez, [email protected]