Illegal Migrant Shot Dead After Hitting ICE Agent with Car

A man was shot and killed by ICE agents in the Chicago area after driving a car at an officer, immigration officials confirmed.

Officials named him as Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez and said he was in the country illegally.

A video posted online showed the moment a lorry driver called police to report his vehicle had been hit by the man’s car in Franklin Park village, 15 miles north-west of Chicago.

“I’m a CDL (commercial driver’s licence) truck driver,” the driver says.

“A car hit my trailer. I think ICE tried to pull him over and he crashed into my trailer.”

A spokesman for the department of homeland security (DHS) said Friday morning’s incident occurred during “an enforcement operation targeting a criminal illegal alien”.

“ICE officers conducted a vehicle stop to arrest Villegas-Gonzalez. He refused to follow law enforcement commands and drove his car at law enforcement officers,” said a DHS statement.

The spokesman added: “One of the ICE officers was hit by the car and dragged a significant distance. Fearing for his own life, the officer fired his weapon.”

Villegas-Gonzalez was “a criminal illegal alien with a history of reckless driving”, the spokesman claimed, although they did not provide further details.

Chicago is one of many cities targeted in raids as part of Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants.

He campaigned for his second term on a tough immigration policy ticket that included closing the US-Mexico border and deporting large numbers of undocumented immigrants.

Polls show his policies have considerable support among the public, although there has been lower approval when those targeted in the raids are farm workers or day labourers.

Mr Trump had long been planning to send the National Guard to Chicago in a crime crackdown similar to the one he oversaw in Washington DC.

There was outspoken opposition to the proposal from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat.

‘Praying for speedy recovery’

On Friday, Mr Trump said he had instead identified Memphis, Tennessee, as the next location for his anti-crime operation.

After Friday’s incident, Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS assistant secretary, said they were “praying for the speedy recovery of our law enforcement officer”.

“He followed his training, used appropriate force, and properly enforced the law to protect the public and law enforcement,” she added.

“Viral social media videos and activists encouraging illegal aliens to resist law enforcement not only spread misinformation, but also undermine public safety, as well as the safety of our officers and those being apprehended.”

In a statement posted on X, Mr Pritzker said: “I am aware of the troubling incident that has unfolded in Franklin Park.”

He added: “This is a developing situation and the people of Illinois deserve a full, factual accounting of what’s happened today to ensure transparency and accountability.”