An Agent of the United States Immigration and Customs Control (ICE) shot a suspect who tried to evade arrest in a Chicago suburb when trying to ram the agents with their car and drag one of them, the authorities reported.
The shooting, which occurred just outside the city, occurs after several days of threats issued by the government of President Donald Trump to intensify the application of the immigration law in the third largest city in the country, already less than a week of an operation called “Midway Blitz”, carried out by federal authorities, against the so -called Sanctuary policies in Chicago and Illinois.
The National Security Department said in a press release that the agent tried to arrest a man with reckless driving history that he had entered the country illegally, but that he refused to obey the orders of the agents and, instead, tried to ram them with his car. An ICE agent who was beaten and dragged by the vehicle felt that his life was in danger and opened fire, the department said.
The ICE said that the agent and the driver involved in the shooting, which occurred in the mostly Hispanic suburb of Franklin Park, about 29 kilometers (18 miles) west Chicago, were transferred to a local hospital, where he declared himself dead to the suspect.
“We prayed for the prompt recovery of our agent. He followed his training, used the right force and applied the law correctly to protect the public and forces of the order,” said the Deputy Secretary of National Security, Tricia McLaughlin.
The governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, said he was aware of the shooting and demanded “a complete and factual report of what happened today to guarantee transparency and accountability.”
In a video of the scene, police tape and traffic cones are shown blocking parts of the street, where a large food distribution truck and a gray car can be seen from distance. Several vehicles of the forces of the order surrounded the area.
In a press conference held on Friday, immigration defenders and local authorities argued that the shooting demonstrates how the militarized application of the immigration law harms the communities and demanded transparency and accountability of the ICE agents involved in the shooting.
They were flanked by about two dozen protesters who chanted and played drums while holding a banner that declared: “End to detention, Immigrant Welcome.”
“The Trump deportation machine is out of control and operates without transparency or accountability, which produces meaningless damage in our communities,” said Lawrence Benito, executive director of the Illinois coalition for the rights of immigrants and refugees.
Illinois representative, Norma Hernández, described the shooting as a tragedy and condemned the attempts of ICE agents to blame the deceased.
“These tactics have made one of the members of our community lose their lives,” said Hernández. “It is not the first and unfortunately, it will not be the last.”
Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Chicago prepare for the celebrations of the Independence Day of Mexico over the weekend, which include parades, festivals, street parties and caravans of car, despite the possible imposition of measures against immigration.
McLaughlin said that “viral videos on social networks and activists who encourage illegal foreigners to resist order forces” have made the work of ICE agents more dangerous.
In recent weeks, local authorities, defenders and teachers have launched efforts throughout the city to inform people about their rights when they face ICE agents. On Friday, many denied being encouraging people who have entered without authorization to the country to resist order forces.
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Santana reported from Washington.
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This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool.
