For Immediate Release

Trump Administration’s Reckless Abuse of Power Led to Today’s Loss of Life

Chicago, IL — Earlier today, a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis who was bearing witness to ICE’s presence in the community. Reporting says she was part of a rapid response network as a Legal Observer, helping to monitor ICE and document violations of protestors’ rights in order to protect Minnesotans. After intensifying its crackdown on immigration in Minneapolis over the past few weeks, the Trump administration has continued its hateful rhetoric by making false accusations against the victim, proving that they will use every opportunity to target our most vulnerable communities.

In response, independent candidate for Illinois’s 4th Congressional District, Mayra Macías, released the following statement:

For months now, families across the United States have been living in constant fear as the Trump administration’s deportation machine continually escalated its tactics and invaded more and more of the country. Just weeks after the administration intensified its ICE presence in Minneapolis, tragedy has struck — and instead of reversing course, the administration has concocted narratives of self defense and made false accusations against an unarmed victim who was bearing witness to ICE’s attacks on the Minneapolis community.

What we are seeing is no fluke occurrence. This type of tragedy is all too familiar in the Chicagoland area. Just last year, Silverio Villegas González was shot and killed by ICE during a traffic stop. We have seen firsthand the trauma this deportation machine inflicts on our communities — parents separated from children, families living in constant terror, and law-abiding community members losing their lives. Members of rapid response groups, like the victim of today’s shooting, have had to risk their lives to protect others at a time when those who should be protecting us are turning a blind eye. And the Trump administration is using our own money to inflict this pain. As part of Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, Congress voted to allocate billions of dollars to ICE, terrorizing our communities with their own tax payer dollars. We must ensure that no family in America has to live under the threat of an aggressive, unchecked deportation machine, and we can no longer allow this corrupt, power-hungry agency to take our money, homes, and lives. It’s time for a complete overhaul of ICE.