CHICAGO (NewsNation) — A migrant who was being targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for detainment was shot and killed on Friday, after the person drove his vehicle into a team of officers during a traffic stop, prompting one of the ICE officers to shoot the driver, agency officials confirmed to NewsNation.
An ICE officer working with the agency’s Enforcement Removal Operations unit was struck by the driver and dragged a significant distance as the man being sought attempted to flee, an ICE spokesperson said. Fearing for his life, the officer fired his weapon and struck the man, who was being sought by the agency as part of an ongoing targeted immigration enforcement operation in Chicago.
The traffic stop took place in suburban Franklin Park on Friday, which is located near O’Hare International Airport, officials said.
Both the officer and the migrant, identified as Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, immediately received medical treatment and were transferred to a local hospital, officials said. Villegas-Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the hospital, officials confirmed.
The officer sustained severe injuries and is in stable condition. Officials said that Villegas-Gonzalez resisted officers commands during the traffic stop before he drove his vehicle into the team of arresting officers.
“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,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
McLaughlin 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.”
Officials said Villegas-Gonzalez has a history of reckless driving and entered the United States illegally at an unknown time and place.
However, NewsNation affiliate WGN’s investigative team found that Villegas-Gonzalez’s only prior cases in Cook County have been for traffic violations.
There were four cases in all dating back to 2010. The most recent traffic case was in 2019 for operating an uninsured motor vehicle. He has also been cited several times previously for infractions including speeding, driving on an expired license and without insurance as well as violating Chicago’s muffler noise ordinance.
There are no prior or pending federal cases for him in the Northern District of Illinois.
In a social media post on Friday, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker wrote he is aware of the “troubling incident” that had taken place in the Chicago suburb.
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,” Pritzker wrote on X.
“Operation Midway Blitz” was launched on Monday by Department of Homeland Security officials. On Wednesday, DHS officials confirmed to NewsNation that 13 migrants who entered the United States illegally, who the federal agency considers “the worst of the worst,” had been arrested within the first three days of the operation.
Chicago has remained a target of ICE since President Donald Trump’s inauguration and was among the first cities visited by White House Border Czar Tom Homan. The Trump administration and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Prtizker have remained at odds over the presence of ICE.
NewsNation reported that Chicago would be targeted by a multi-agency operation before DHS formally announced the campaign this week. NewsNation confirmed that Border Patrol Commander-At-Large Gregory Bovino is running the campaign as he did the large-scale operation in Los Angeles earlier this year.