An immigrant was killed and a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer was injured in Chicago on Friday during an enforcement operation, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
ICE officers conducted a traffic stop in Franklin Park, Ill. to detain Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez on Friday morning. Villegas-Gonzalez allegedly resisted arrest and tried to flee the scene, dragging an ICE officer a “significant” distance with his car. The officer opened fire, fatally shooting the migrant.
“We are 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,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Friday.
“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,” McLaughlin added.
An ICE spokesperson said that both the officer and migrant “immediately received medical treatment and were transferred to a local hospital.”
“The suspect was pronounced dead at the hospital,” the spokesperson added. “The officer sustained severe injuries and is in stable condition.”
DHS said that Villegas-Gonzalez, whom the department said was a “criminal illegal” migrant with a “history of reckless driving,” was the target of the enforcement operation.
Villegas-Gonzalez entered the U.S. at an “unknown date and time,” DHS added.
The incident took place as President Trump’s administration is intensifying immigration enforcement in Chicago this week as part of the so-called “Operation Midway Blitz.”
