Investigate Death of Mexican National During ICE Stop
On September 12, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot at Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, a 38-year-old Mexican migrant, near Chicago. CCTV footage of the incident calls ICE’s account into question and highlights the need fo
On September 12, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot at Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, a 38-year-old Mexican migrant, near Chicago. CCTV footage of the incident calls ICE’s account into question and highlights the need for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) inspector general, one of the few remaining inspectors general in the government, to open an independent investigation. In its statement, the DHS said that “ICE officers conducted a vehicle stop to arrest Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez. He refused to follow law enforcements commands and drove his car at law enforcement officers. 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.” But the CCTV footage that has emerged does not show Villegas-Gonzalez’s car driving at or hitting law enforcement officers. In the footage, two officers stand on either side of Villegas-Gonzalez’ vehicle as he reverses away from the officers. One of the officers appears to hold onto the window frame on the driver's side, moving backward with the vehicle, and then forward as the vehicle drives out of frame of the CCTV camera. It is unclear why the ICE officer moves with the vehicle or whether he is being dragged. Two other videos have emerged showing two officers in flak jackets with “Police” written on the back pulling Villegas-Gonzalez out of his car roughly 20 meters from where he was initially stopped and providing him with medical care. His death was confirmed by the Mexican embassy later that day. Law enforcement officers can only use lethal force when an individual poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or another person. As ICE ramps up its violent and discriminatory campaign of raids and detention against migrants and their communities, injuries and deaths will likely continue to rise. In the face of these developments and this fatal incident, transparent investigations into the causes of deaths and injuries during ICE actions are more critical than ever. Those responsible for violations of US law, as well as international human rights standards, should be held to account. .
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